


Falling From The Stars

by thepudz



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Bodyswap, Dating, F/F, Falling In Love, Feels, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Heartwarming, Homophobia, LGBTQ Themes, Long-Distance Relationship, Love Confessions, Rated M for language, Romance, Soulmates, glimmer has a crush on adora, lonnie and catra are ex-girlfriends, shadow weaver is adora's mom, this is basically 'your name' but with lesbians
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-14 19:55:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 68,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29051736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepudz/pseuds/thepudz
Summary: A wish upon a star can change a life or two. Adora is unhappy with her forced profession as a piano player, and Catra seeks more from life when her music career won't take off. One night, when they both wish upon a star for fulfilment, they soon experience a bizarre dream that eventually leads to them waking up in each other's bodies, despite living on practically opposite ends of the state and having never seen each other before.Through all this weirdness, the two of them come to learn about each other, and slowly begin to develop a bond like no other. But with Catra's small town having a more 'traditional' worldview, and Adora's home-life in the city being one of pain and pressure, they begin to wonder if meeting each other might be exactly what they need... If it's even possible.ORA Soulmates, Bodyswap, Modern AU in which Catra and Adora live on opposite ends of the state, but that won't stop them from trying to find each other, even through the struggles of life and love.
Relationships: Adora & Glimmer (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Catra & Lonnie (She-Ra)
Comments: 365
Kudos: 313





	1. When I Opened My Eyes, I Was Above The Clouds

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all! Super excited to show this one off! 
> 
> As mentioned in the notes, this story takes inspiration from the movie 'Your Name'. It won't be an exact copy, but I love that movie to death and I've always wanted to do work based off it! Plus, a chance to write more Catradora is always fun for me!
> 
> I'll be updating this story as freqently as I can, but if you want to know when updates are coming and the progress of the story, follow me on my Twitter, @thepudzoutlook1
> 
> And also, as mentioned in the notes, this story will feature homophobic speech and acts. These will be tagged accordingly in each chapter. I'm going to avoid the use of many slurs, but if it makes you uncomfortable, feel free to scroll past. I completely understand.
> 
> Without further ado... Let's commence one more journey.
> 
> CONTENT WARNING: HOMOPHOBIC SPEECH IN SCENE 3 OF THIS CHAPTER

The soft piano ringing throughout the hall came from the press of reluctant fingers against the white and black keys.

The final notes echoed on in the building as the song came to a finish. The audience was swallowed in the darkness, and the only light came in the form of a spotlight shining on stage, where a single piano was played by a single woman.

When silence enveloped the building, it was soon crushed by applause a few seconds later. A polite clap for a job done well. But the applause drowned out her sigh as she took her hands away from the keys and rested them by her side.

Adora never liked playing the piano.

She heard the applause, but they all blurred together. The outpour of love and support felt like a tidal wave of slime that sloshed about and stuck to every inch of wall and floor in the building. Did these people really truly care? Adora doubted it.

She often practiced in these very halls to a smaller audience. Tonight was a big show with a big audience, but there was little difference in Adora’s mind. The audience was filled with ‘very important people’, at least according to everyone else there. People who could take Adora’s skill and spread it throughout the world.

These shows, these practice sessions, they all were opportunities to become ‘greater’.

Whatever that meant.

Adora didn’t even take the time to acknowledge the praise from the audience. She simply stood up and walked off stage, back into the darkness. There was no spark in any of this. Nothing that made her feel well and truly alive.

“You played well,” Adora heard as she walked off stage. She turned to see her mother, Shadow Weaver, standing by the curtain. Her eyes looking down. Adora returned the look for a few seconds, before letting out a sigh and moving forward.

She pushed forward to the side door, hearing the closing words of the night from the stage. Perhaps people were considering her for talent shows or potential bands. Or perhaps no one was considering her for anything at all. And really, Adora liked the idea of the latter.

She opened the heavy door and was hit with the cool wind of the outside world. The buildings that towered over her and the concrete roads, stained by the puddles formed from light rain. She was just glad to be here in the open. That building felt like it was choking her.

She leaned against the cold wall, closing her eyes and taking in the fresh air. She wore a white button-up shirt and some black suit pants held up by a pair of black suspenders, and her strong arms felt slightly chilly under this soft rain. But really, she liked the feeling.

When she opened her eyes, she was met with a sky full of stars. Endless sparks that were mocking her. She so desperately wanted to be among them. They felt so alive. Adora, even at the age of eighteen, still felt so cold.

But as she got lost within those stars, she noticed something. Out of the darkness, flashing across the sky.

A shooting star.

Adora hadn’t seen a shooting star since she was a young kid. It flashed for a few seconds, before suddenly fading away. It was clearly noticeable. Adora’s eyes widened slightly, but just as quickly, she closed them. Wishing upon a shooting star is something she had never done before.

“Please…” She spoke softly to herself. “I just want to know my spark… My purpose in this life. I want to know what will finally, truly make me…” She took a breath. “Fulfilled.”

It was a wish that was perhaps a bit too vague. The kind of wish a tricky genie would take advantage of. But she didn’t really mind. She just wanted something more than this. Something that will make her happy. Something…

Suddenly, the air grew much colder around her. The rain stopped and the wind became much, much louder.

Adora shivered for a bit, but when she opened her eyes, she saw that she was floating above the clouds.

“Huh?” She made a small sound as her senses were suddenly flooded. All around her was the night sky, and the fluffy clouds below her. The wind felt even colder, but she wasn’t freezing. She had to blink a few times to make sure she wasn’t having some hallucination.

She was floating in the sky. Above the clouds. Miles from the ground.

And then, it suddenly hit her as she began to fall.

Adora let out a suddenly cry as she felt her body plummet towards the earth. Nothing about this made sense. She was wishing upon a star a few seconds ago. Now she was miles above the ground and rapidly approaching it.

Her mind was flooded with way too many thoughts at once. She could barely even breathe. Her heart rate had suddenly spiked. Despite how beautiful everything looked up here, she could barely process any of it. Her body was flipping too much for her to get a good look at anything.

But after a few seconds, she did notice that she wasn’t completely alone up here.

When she managed to get control of her body and still herself a bit, she saw that another figure was also falling. She could hear their terrified cries and screams. They seemed to be stuck in the same situation as her.

They had long, bushy hair and a slender form. It was all Adora could make out in the dark, night sky. “Grab my hand!” She called out to them, trying to reach out. She wasn’t sure why she offered. Perhaps they would know what the hell is going on.

The figure noticed her. Adora could see their panicked eyes. “Who are you?! What’s going on?!” They screamed out.

“I don’t know!” Adora replied. She tried to reach out further towards them. She tried to perhaps even save them, if that was possible. It was a nice idea, at least. “My name is…”

But before Adora could finish, her vision was suddenly covered by the dark clouds.

She lost track of that person. She could barely see her own hand in front of herself. The rain began to hit her again, and her body felt wet from the cloud surrounding her. But after a few seconds, she was beneath the clouds.

And rapidly falling towards the city.

Adora felt terrified. She was still completely and utterly confused. But as the concrete floor approached, she could only close her eyes and hope that it wouldn’t be painful. She received no answers for anything. No sense of anything.

Falling. Falling. Falling. Adora peeled her eyes open just a bit, and when she did, she saw the floor mere inches away.

And then, she hit the ground.

* * *

Catra’s eyes shot open and she let out a sudden, deep gasp as she awoke from her heavy sleep.

She sat up, sucking in breath after breath as she put a hand on her chest to check if her heart was still beating. She was happy to find that she was still alive.

“Shit…” She sighed to herself, running a hand through her long hair. She hadn’t had a bad dream in years. She barely dreamt at all these days. But the way that particular dream ended was like a punch to her gut. She could only see herself rapidly approaching the ground, and her brain shot into overdrive.

But now, she was back home.

She saw her messy room. An organized mess, really. The single window to the right of her bed, with the morning sun bursting in to light up the world. A few posters of punk bands covered the walls, as well as some large pictures of the city.

“Wildcat? You up?” Catra heard the voice of her sister, Scorpia, on the other side of her bedroom door. They weren’t sisters by blood, with Catra being adopted into the family at an extremely young age, but Catra still saw her as a sister nonetheless.

“I am. Just… Gimme a sec,” Catra replied, wiping the sleep from her eyes.

“Take the time you need!” Scorpia replied. Catra could hear her smile. “Well… Apart from the fact we need to leave for school in fifteen minutes, but no rush!”

“Thanks,” Catra replied. Her morning voice was hoarse and deep, and she eventually swung her legs over the side of her bed. The soft carpet against her feet was a nice feeling, especially compared to that bizarre dream.

She opened her closet, pushing past the vast array of punk outfits, ripped jeans, band t-shirts and beanies in order to find her school uniform. A formal white button-up shirt, a black and purple varsity jacket, and… Well, there was also a skirt with similar coloring, but Catra had never touched a skirt in her life and didn’t plan to do so any time soon.

Instead, she wore pants, which were intended for the boy’s uniform. But Catra made it her goal every day to give gender norms the middle finger.

Once she was dressed, she grabbed her phone and walked out of her room and downstairs. There, she found the rest of her family already in the kitchen. Scorpia, halfway done with her breakfast, and both of her moms.

One of Catra’s moms, Cerata, was in the kitchen doing the dishes. She had white bob cut hair and a slim figure. Her other mom, Leah, was much taller, with black hair that was braided in the back and loose in the front. She sat with Scorpia, checking her laptop for the morning news.

“You slept in a bit,” Cerata called out from the kitchen as Catra took a seat at the table. “I could hear you up late in that studio of yours.”

“Was I being too loud up there?” Catra asked. She was producing a new song within the music studio, but she had done her best to keep everything quiet and limited to her headphones.

“If you were being loud, I’d call that a good thing, no?” Leah said. “You producing another hit song up there?”

“None of my songs have been hits yet…” Catra corrected as she poked at her breakfast of bacon, eggs and hash browns.

“Well, maybe this is the one!” Scorpia complimented. Catra appreciated the gesture, but it was quite a long shot.

“You’d certainly hope so. You saved up quite a bit for everything in that studio,” Cerata said with a concerned tone. She was right, after all. The cost of all the instruments of that studio was quite a hefty amount, and something Catra had saved up for over the span of years.

“One day,” Catra said, though she had no idea if she believed it herself. She appreciated the support from her family. But it was little help in the grand scheme of things. She had barely received more than a few bucks back through commissions for songs she received online.

Once she had finished her breakfast, Catra stood up and grabbed her school bag. “You two stay safe!” Cerata said with a smile as Scorpia followed after.

“We will!” Scorpia replied as Catra put her shoes on and went out through the front door. She slung her bag over her shoulder and winced under the bright sun as she stepped outside into the warm air.

What she was greeted with was a sight she had grown used to over the last eighteen years of her life.

The town of Solaris.

It was a small town. She could see the end of it from her house. It was almost like a circle, built around a single, large lake in the middle. Small buildings, such as houses and stores, surrounded it, and the most modern-looking one was the supermarket installed a few years ago that stuck out like a sore thumb.

Most of the buildings were made of wood, and the roads were small. The one school was about a seven-minute walk from home, and it was a downhill trip to get there. If Catra instead made a left turn from her house, the walk would be about twenty minutes. Either way, the roads all linked up in a neat circle.

The town was surrounded by mountains, only one of which had a proper path on it. The path led to the top of Mt. Riverholm. It gave a nice view, but the climb was more than a couple of hours. Catra only went there on special occasions.

Solaris also only had one train station, and one train that left every eight hours. Catra was always tempted to board it and make her way to the city. But she knew she would simply be stranded then. She thought posting her songs online would generate some revenue and given her enough money to rent a place in the city.

She had gotten no such luck.

“Y’know, you were out cold in that studio last night,” Scorpia mentioned as the two of them walked towards school. “I found you passed out in front of the computer. I had to carry you to bed. I’ve never seen you that deeply asleep.”

“I had… a weird night,” Catra admitted. She could see Scorpia’s eyes widen with interest. “I… It’s dumb. Just forget it.”

“No, no, no! I want to hear this!” Scorpia perked up.

“Seriously. It’s stupid. You’ll just laugh,” Catra replied.

“Cross my heart, I won’t so much as giggle,” Scorpia solemnly swore. Catra looked to her sister for a few seconds. If she didn’t tell Scorpia now, she’d like be bugged about it for hours, maybe even days. She sighed.

“I… I saw a shooting star last night. And you know… I made a wish on it,” Catra admitted.

“What was the wish?” Scorpia asked.

“Aren’t I supposed to not tell you that?” Catra shot a look of confusion to Scorpia.

“Well… Maybe we can bend the rules of shooting stars for a bit?” Scorpia offered. Catra pondered for a few seconds, before shrugging.

“I just wished for some happiness, really. Just something to make me feel like life is even worth it. Cause I’m growing up, and I’m seeing all these opportunities, and they all feel so… empty,” Catra admitted. She immediately regretted being a bit too open about it. But it was too late now.

“Whoa…” Scorpia said softly, not expecting the wish to run that deep.

“That’s not even the weird part. I just remember closing my eyes, and I guess I must’ve fallen asleep or something. Cause when I opened them…” Catra took a breath. “I was… flying. In the sky.”

“I’ve always wanted to have a dream about flying!” Scorpia cheered.

“You wouldn’t want this one. I was only flying for a few seconds, and then I just… fell. And it was… fucking terrifying,” Catra said, her body shivering slightly. “It felt so real. And… There was someone else there. Someone I had never even seen before. Some blonde girl in a really nice outfit. She was falling with me and she seemed just as scared. She couldn’t even tell me her name.”

“Well… You must’ve seen them at some point before. I mean… Aren’t dreams filled with people you see in the real world? Your brain can’t make up people. As… far as I know at least,” Scorpia said, tapping her finger on her chin to try and remember where she got that knowledge from.

“I swear to god, I have NEVER seen this girl before in my life,” Catra insisted. She ended her sentence with a quick sigh. “I don’t know… It just felt way too real and kinda fucked with my head. But I guess it was just a dream.”

“Dreams can be so bizarre, huh?” Scorpia said.

As they continued to walk, Catra could hear the sound of tires rolling against the ground. She could tell it was the sound of a pushbike, and she and Scorpia moved to the side of the road to allow room for the bike to fly on by.

But Catra instantly recognized the figure on the bike. The shoulder-length brown dreadlocks. It was Lonnie. Another girl from her class.

And her ex-girlfriend.

Neither of them exchanged a greeting as Lonnie sped on by.

“Geez, what happened with you two?” Scorpia asked as Catra watched Lonnie bike away. Lonnie didn’t even so much as look back in Catra’s direction. It had been a while since they separated. It wasn’t on terrible terms. It was just… weird. Confusing. “You were the best of friends! And now… What, life got in the way or something?”

“Something like that,” Catra replied. She hadn’t told Scorpia about the relationship. She hadn’t told anyone. It was a secret her and Lonnie would keep for the rest of their lives, if they had to.

For their own safety.

* * *

Catra always looked forward to the break between her classes.

She sat near the basketball court outside the back of the school, a bench being her place to be as she looked out at the town and the mountains and had some moments of quiet. And, most of all, moments to focus on her music.

Her scrapbook of lyrics, tunes and dreams was a book she held most dear to her. It was one she had put years of effort into. She often wrote down personal thoughts as well, things she wouldn’t want anyone else to see.

Well, mostly anyone else.

“How’d you do on last weeks test?” She heard Scorpia ask as she took a seat next to Catra. Silently, Catra dug into her backpack and handed her test results to Scorpia, not taking her eyes off her lyrics as Scorpia read the result. She soon heard Scorpia let out a surprised gasp. “You got ninety-five percent?!”

“Guess I did,” Catra shrugged, trying to find a way to match these lyrics with a tune she had in mind.

“Catra, that… That’s incredible!” Scorpia complimented.

“Uh-huh,” Catra replied.

“You keep up this effort, you’ll probably make it into a university!” Scorpia said with a beaming smile.

“Well… We’ll see about that. You’re starting to sound like my teacher,” Catra replied. “She’s always saying ‘you’re getting the best results in class, but you just need to apply yourself to something with a bit more practicality’. In other words, stop doing music and do something useful.”

“Oh… Well, that’s not very nice,” Scorpia said with empathy in her voice.

“Eh. It’s not the first time I’ve heard it,” Catra sighed, closing her book and laying back on the bench to look up at the clouds. “These tests aren’t that hard, honestly. But the teachers are always getting on my case about finding something to do. I guess they don’t like the idea of me not wanting to become some corporate, capitalist slave whose only purpose in life is to benefit the one-percent.”

“Well…” Scorpia couldn’t find the right words to respond to that. Catra could only scoff.

“I’ll show them. They’re gonna turn on the TV one day and see me performing in the city in front of thousands of people. I can see their faces already,” Catra said, closing her eyes and imagining the scenario.

“No matter where you end up, I’ll always be your number one fan, alright?” Scorpia said with a grin. Catra couldn’t help but smile. Scorpia had always been her ‘number one fan’ from all the way back when they were young kids.

Catra often put a lot of thoughts into her lyrics and meaning, but Scorpia often just liked the beats of her music. Most of the meaning went over her head. Though, really, Catra didn’t mind that too much. She was just glad she could produce something that was nice to listen to.

“And what do we have here?” Catra suddenly heard a familiar voice as she felt the scrapbook snatched from her hands. She could only let out an annoyed sigh.

“Hey, Mike,” Catra said in a dull tone, turning to see a fellow classmate. Mike had long, curly, brown hair, and his uniform was an absolute mess. He was the classmate that got on Catra’s nerves the most. He read through Catra’s scrapbook with a grin, but it definitely wasn’t the first time he had pulled this stunt. Catra had grown numb to it by this point.

“Ah, I see you’re planning your own personal road-trip/tour when you make it big, huh?” Mike said as he read through one of Catra’s many plans.

“Yep. And I’ll make sure you’re banned from every single show,” Catra replied, taking her scrapbook away from him while he was distracted. He scoffed, crossing his arms.

“Come on, don’t be like that,” he said. “I admire it, really. Going around and doing whatever you want. How many boyfriends you gonna scrounge up along the way?”

“Hmm… Well, not as many boyfriends as you’ll have, no doubt,” Catra said with a sly smile. Scorpia put a hand over her own mouth to stop her laughter as the smirk from Mike’s face quickly dropped.

“That’s not fucking funny, Catra,” Mike said with a lower tone of voice.

“Really? I found it hilarious,” Catra replied. She wouldn’t really have a problem with Mike having a couple of boyfriends. But there was only one reason she made that particular joke to him.

“That shit is not normal. I’m not some… gay freak,” Mike said with a hint of venom in his voice.

“Hey, there wouldn’t be anything wrong with that!” Scorpia said, trying to bring a bit of light-heartedness to Mike’s attitude.

“Look, I don’t have a problem with gay people or whatever, just as long as they keep it to themselves. I’m sick of seeing it everywhere and them shoving it down our throats,” Mike said.

“Thank you very much for your much-needed contribution to this conversation,” Catra said in a sarcastic tone. “Now please, kindly go away,” she finished, waving a dismissive hand as she laid on the bench. She closed her eyes and allowed Mike to simply move on somewhere else.

People like him were exactly the reason Catra kept her relationship with Lonnie a secret. The town of Solaris was a more traditional place, and the idea of being out as a lesbian in this town terrified Catra. No one knew about it, except Lonnie. She intended to keep it that way.

“You know, I do not like him,” Scorpia said as Mike walked away.

“You and me both,” Catra sighed as the bell rung for the next class.

“On the bright side, once you get popular with your music career and move into the city, you won’t have to see him again!” Scorpia said. Catra stood up, liking the sound of that as she grabbed her bag and headed for the next class.

One day, she’ll be able to get away from everything in this town. One day.

* * *

As the afternoon sun filled with the sky with a deep shade of orange, Catra opened the door to her studio.

It was right next to her bedroom, and it had a familiar smell of sweat to it. The acoustic foam on the walls, the keyboard in the back corner, the drums over to the side, and her sets of guitars hung by the computer.

She took a seat in front of the computer where she did her mixing and editing, and also where she checked on the statistics of her published music. She opened her account to see the feedback on the latest song she posted a few days ago. She hoped for maybe a burst in love. Maybe something that would kick her motivation into high gear.

But instead, she saw the same stats as the last two days. A couple dozen of views, a few likes and no comments. It was a song she had put weeks of effort into. And barely anyone had heard it. In fact, she was sure most of those views came from Scorpia.

Catra sighed. She was always told to do what she loved for herself. And making music did make her happy. But seeing so little response almost killed her motivation. What was the point if other people didn’t even like it?

Out of habit, she went to check other recently published songs. One that came out a few hours ago already had triple the amount of views she did, and the comments were exploding with love. Catra had no doubt it was nice music too. But it stung. It stung to see others receive so much love so easily.

She knew she needed to stop doing this. Comparing herself to everyone else on the platform. But it was never that simple.

She needed to take her mind away from things. She quickly got up from her chair, and went over to her drum set. She was working on a song. It wasn’t a commission. Just a personal project, a cover of another, much more popular song. She liked doing these every now and then. They gave her an odd sense of comfort.

She put on the headphones next to her drum set and began to play the song she was covering. Grabbing a set of drumsticks, she twirled them around in her left hand for a bit, but when things finally kicked into high gear, she began to play.

The drums were both the most fun and most exhausting instrument to play, especially when it came to punk songs. She could already feel the sweat beading at her forehead as she tried to keep up with the song playing loudly through her headphones. Each part of her body was required for this.

But as she played, even with everything she had, her mind still wandered to the stats. To the fact that no one listened. No one cared.

It was only a split-second, but the distraction of her absent mind was enough for her to miss a few beats in the song and completely mess up her timing. She let out a frustrated sigh, throwing her sticks down and taking off her headphones. She only lasted a few seconds.

It was enough to tell her that maybe tonight wasn’t the best night for playing. She put everything away and shut down her computer, leaving the studio behind and instead going to her bedroom. She needed time to herself.

That dream from last night had basically messed with her entire day. Her body felt heavy as soon as she hit the comfort of the bed, and she could already tell she needed a nap. She closed her eyes, and as usual, she thought about the future.

The city. That was the place she needed to be. That’s where she’d truly be happy. She’d be able to make it big there once she got enough money from commissions. She just needed to work at it. And then, she’d show everyone.

And if she got a girlfriend along the way, she’d shove it in Mike’s bigoted face so hard.

She smiled at the thought. The future was the only thing that made her that happy anymore. Even if it was mostly just a dream at this point. She’d be happy eventually. She just knew she’d be.

And so, she fell into the darkness of sleep for what was supposed to be a short nap.

* * *

Nothing felt right when Catra awoke.

She almost felt sick as her eyes peeled open. This usually happened after a nap, this slimy taste in her mouth and the exhaustion afterwards. It was one of the many risks of napping after school whilst still in her uniform.

But as she slowly came to, she began to realize that this room was… different.

When she looked over to her right, she didn’t see a window. Instead, it was just a wall. She raised an eyebrow, sitting up and wondering what the hell happened. The only window was at the other end of the room, and it showed a completely different view from before.

The view was of many buildings. And a morning sky.

It looked like one of her posters of the city. But most dreaded of all, the morning sky meant that afternoon nap was her passing out for what was probably a little over twelve hours. And that was something she REALLY did not meant to do.

She went for her phone by the bedside table, but found that there was no bedside table. Instead, her phone was on the floor. In fact, it didn’t even look like her phone. It was a different size, model and case.

To add on to the confusion, when Catra reached out for the phone, her whole hand was different.

“What the...” Catra narrowed her eyebrows as she looked at her hands and the rest of her body. She had a lighter skin tone, stronger arms and she was taller than usual. And she wore a white tank top and loose shorts. Not her school uniform.

She quickly stood up, and found a mirror in the back corner of the room. She stumbled over to it, and when she managed to look at herself, she saw that she was no longer in her own body. This wasn’t even Solaris anymore.

Catra looked up to see an entirely different woman staring back at her.

Blue eyes. Almost golden hair. Catra touched her own face, and even her skin felt different. Her heart was racing. “You’re… You’re from my dream…” Catra said to herself. There was no doubt about it. This was the same girl. She was even pretty cute.

Catra had never seen her before. And now she was here again. Two dreams in a row. “Who are you…? Why am I in your body…?” Catra whispered, trying to make sense of any of this. Even if this was a dream, it was a damn confusing one at that.

“Adora!” A sudden, harsh voice spoke, barking into the room from outside. That must be her name.

“Y… Yeah?” Catra responded. Her voice sounded different, but not that bad.

“I’m heading out. I expect to see you at practice tonight no later than nine. Understand?” The harsh voice spoke. Catra had no idea why they were speaking with such venom in their voice. “I said, do you understand?!” The voice spoke again.

“Yep!” Catra replied, wanting them out of her hair.

“I’m glad to hear it. Now get prepared for school or you’ll be late,” the voice spoke one last time, before walking away from the bedroom and out the front door. Catra let out a short sigh of relief. She just needed some time alone to think about what was going on.

This had to be dream. That was a plain and simple fact in Catra’s mind. But why did the dream consist of this? Who was Adora? Who was that harsh voice? Why was any of this happening? Catra tried to find answers, and yet none came.

Her first instinct was to go for the phone. The wallpaper consisted of this Adora with what seemed to be two friends. They looked happy together. Catra managed to open the phone with her thumbprint. It felt wrong to have access to such privacy.

But then again, this was just a dream.

She only opened the calendar to see if this Adora ever kept a schedule. It seemed like today was a school day, followed by a shift at work (wherever that was), and then piano practice, also at an unknown location.

Catra knew what she had to do. Now she just had to find her way around.

Standing up, she went over to what seemed like a closet. Within, she found exactly what she was looking for. A school uniform. With this, she was able to find the name of the school and type it into the maps app on the phone.

The school seemed to be a twenty-five-minute walk away. Or a five-minute tram. “A tram…?” Catra said to herself.

But as she slowly looked around the map, she saw that all around her was multiple restaurants, stores, buildings, businesses, schools, roads… It could only mean one thing. And the idea got Catra’s heart rate to spike with excitement.

She quickly grabbed the uniform, ditching the skirt once more in favor of whatever comfortable pair of pants she could find that looked nice. The uniform was similar to the one in Solaris, with a white button-up shirt and a jacket with only one button, colored in navy blue.

She also saw from the phone wallpaper that Adora usually had her hair in a ponytail. Catra never really styled her hair in anything. Scorpia usually did it for her when need be. But if she wanted to be authentic, she needed to try. She grabbed a few rubber bands from a table nearby and looked into the mirror.

“Alright… How the hell do you do this?” Catra said to herself, bunching the golden hair into a ponytail and trying to simply place the rubber band around it. Immediately, it fell out of place. She tried it again with a different technique, but it looked like a mess.

She was at it for only a few more seconds before she gave up and opted to let the golden hair fall loose. She thought it looked nicer that way anyway.

She grabbed her phone, bag and whatever else she thought was necessary, and went out of her bedroom. She was greeted with what seemed to be a rather messy apartment. It was much, much smaller than her home in Solaris.

There were dirty dishes stacked in the sink, and the smell of coffee filled the apartment. A few windows showed the outside, and the tables and chairs were all crooked. The hallway to her left led to a bathroom and another, much more dimly lit bedroom.

She only took a few seconds to look at the state of things, before eventually walking towards the front door and stepping outside. It’s not like she needed breakfast. It was just a dream. She had to keep telling herself that, since this all felt so real.

As she opened the door, she was hit with a blast of warm air. The sun was shining directly in her eyes, and she held out a hand to block it, wincing slightly.

After a few seconds, she managed to open her eyes. And when she saw the view, her eyes widened and her world stopped.

Before Catra was the city.

Towering buildings surrounded her and went off into the distance. The roads were cluttered with cars, bikes and pedestrians. Countless cafés and stores could be seen. Hundreds of people walked back and forth on the sidewalk, going about their day.

Catra stepped forward. The apartment was on the second story of a building, and a set of stairs would take her to the ground floor. But she simply had to take a few moments to look around at such a different environment.

She even spotted two women holding hands in the distance. A couple that nobody paid any mind to. Something she had never seen before in Solaris. This place was filled with life. With energy. It was everything Catra had ever wanted.

She hopped down the stairs, looking all around herself with a wide smile on her face. This wasn’t her body. This perhaps wasn’t even her life. But in this moment, this was her happiness. She had to dodge a few people as she looked around.

Eventually, she heard an automated voice from her phone. It was her maps app, telling her where to head for school. It recommended the tram, but Catra wasn’t going to waste away an opportunity to simply walk and bask in this city.

She grabbed onto the strap of her backpack, and headed down the sidewalk, moving between crowds. And all the while, the smile on her face never went away.

This was definitely a dream she could get used to.


	2. The First Switch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra goes through her first day in the body of this girl named Adora. She comes to learn about her home life, school life, and the struggles she has to endure, all leading to a shocking realization.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again, y'all!
> 
> Before we jump in, I just want to address something in the story. As Catra is inhabiting Adora's body, the writing will be referring to her as Catra still. For example, each sentence will finish with 'Catra said', and so on. But do keep in mind that she still looks and sounds like Adora to everyone else!
> 
> Writing a bodyswap fic has come with these challenges, but I hope things still make sense as we go along. I appreciate your lovely support on the first chapter!

What was meant to be a twenty-five-minute walk ended up lasting quite a bit longer than Catra originally intended.

Granted, it’s not like she meant to be late to school. She really did try her best to be on time to her first class of the morning. But being distracted by almost every building and sight delayed her bit by bit. Whether it was a café that promised the most delicious crêpe suzettes or a store with some of the best guitars she had ever seen, Catra had to check them all out.

She was chalking this all down as one of the best dreams ever, and it all felt so vividly real. She had spent quite a bit of money on food along the way, but it’s not like it was affecting her in the real world. Treating herself was one of the best things she could do.

But in the end, all of the distractions had made Catra miss her first class. And then her second. And her third. And…

Well, to be blunt, Catra finally arrived at school as her last class of the day was going on.

The weird stares she received as she made her way up to her classroom (at least, she hoped it was her classroom) were uncomfortable, but expected. She looked like she was barely even wearing the uniform, and her loose hair was probably a bit weird to see.

But these people weren’t real, so Catra couldn’t really give less of a shit.

She checked the map of the school as she made her way around the building, and after a few more minutes, she finally found the classroom she was looking for. Seemed like it was a lecture on history. She gently opened the door, trying not to make herself noticeable.

But there was no stopping the creaks that came from the old, rusty hinges of the door.

Every set of eyes went towards Catra’s direction, and she froze in place. “Adora. How nice of you to fit us in your busy schedule,” the teacher up-front spoke.

“Uh… Sorry,” Catra responded. She was still getting used to this new voice. In all honesty, she kind of liked it. She had been talking to herself all day simply so she could hear this voice.

She eventually found an empty chair near the back end of the room and pulled out her history notebook from the bag she had been carrying all day. The subject of the class was one that was completely unknown to Catra, though that was probably to be expected.

She could see the occasional glance in her direction from her other classmates. She met their gazes every time, and they always looked away. What was it with the people in this dream being so judgmental anyway? Catra shrugged it off.

She did attempt to do her best at whatever note taking she could muster, but about five minutes in, she wondered why she was doing in a dream what she dreaded doing in real life. As the class went along, those notes she had tried to take became more and more scarce.

Despite how important the information was, at least according to the teacher, Catra was more occupied with looking out the window and towards the city.

The city. This magnificent, beautiful place that was so full of life and wonder. In one day, she had done more than she could ever do in three months at Solaris. It was almost dizzying to realize that everything she did today probably wasn’t even five percent of what was possible in the city.

Perhaps this dream was a way of foreshadowing. A way of telling her that she’ll reach this grand place one day if she kept working at her music. She liked that idea. It may be difficult now, but with enough work, she could make it. She could finally be proud of her career.

The class went by in a blur as Catra became lost in her thoughts, and a loud bell rung throughout the school. She saw everyone standing up from their seats and exiting the classroom. It was about the shortest school day Catra had ever had, but she definitely wasn’t complaining.

As she left the classroom, she went to check her schedule. The next few hours were designated to ‘work’, but Catra had absolutely no clue where that was. Unlike with the school, this mystery would be a bit more difficult to solve.

But before she could, she suddenly heard a loud voice calling out towards her. “Adora! There you are!”

Catra was still getting into the hang of realizing that she was Adora now, and her reaction was always delayed.

As she looked to the source of the voices, she saw two people approaching her. The people from Adora’s phone wallpaper, who Catra had been able to figure out as Bow and Glimmer, thanks to Adora’s contacts app. “Uh… Hey, you two,” Catra gave a small wave, trying to sound as normal as possible.

“I… Where have you been?!” Glimmer asked.

“We’ve been so worried!” Bow finished.

“Well…” Catra scratched the back of her head as she walked with Bow and Glimmer. “I kinda slept in.”

“Kinda? It’s three in the afternoon!” Glimmer said. “Shadow Weaver would never let you sleep in past eight!”

“I guess she was feeling generous today?” Catra shrugged. For some reason, that response only caused Bow and Glimmer to laugh. Catra chuckled as well, though she had no idea why.

“Shadow Weaver and generous don’t even live on the same planet,” Glimmer said. Catra had assumed she was a bit strict, but the more she heard about this Shadow Weaver, the more concerned she grew.

“Well… I did try to make it here earlier but I got a bit distracted by… a lot of things,” Catra explained.

“Did you blow your budget on drawing supplies again?” Bow asked.

“Uh… No?” Catra responded, trying to test if that was the appropriate response. Her test came back negative as both Bow and Glimmer gave her the raised eyebrow and concerned look.

“Well… I’m just glad you’re alright and not sick or something. Though I’m not sure how I feel about the new hairstyle,” Bow commented.

“Oh, I… I couldn’t find anything to tie my hair with this morning,” Catra said, running her fingers through the long, golden set of hair that belonged to Adora. “I mean… I kinda like it like this anyway.”

“Hey, you do you,” Glimmer smiled. “Though you will need to tie it up for work.”

“Oh… Right. Work. That’s… tonight, huh?” Catra chuckled. She was trying to find the best way possible to not sound like a lunatic, but she really needed to know where she worked at, and soon.

“At least we’ll have the shift together to try and make it bearable,” Glimmer said. A wave of relief shot through Catra’s systems upon hearing that. All she needed to do was follow Glimmer to work now. And try not to look too weird whilst doing so.

“Ah, my dads are waiting outside for me,” Bow spoke up as he checked his phone. “I’ll see you two tomorrow!” He smiled, making his way downstairs.

“Later, Bow!” Glimmer waved. Catra did her best to give a small wave, but hearing Bow say ‘dads’ so casually sent a certain shock in her system. The fact that a gay couple was just so normalized here, whereas in Solaris, Catra would have to be careful when talking about her moms. It gave her an odd sense of melancholy. Like this dream was teasing her of the acceptance she’d never have in the real world.

Bow seemed like a nice guy. Especially compared to someone like Mike, he was an absolute angel. Catra never really took interest in men, but he seemed nice enough to be the one exception. If only he lived in Solaris. He would be a good friend to have around.

“Uh… So I guess we should be heading to work now?” Catra asked. Glimmer gave Catra another concerned look.

“You’re not going to get changed first?” Glimmer asked.

“Changed?” Catra queried.

“… Into your work clothes,” Glimmer explained, almost dumbfounded.

“We have work clothes?” Catra replied, though she immediately regretted saying it. Her goal of trying to stay as normal as possible was failing miserably.

“Adora… Are you okay?” Glimmer asked with a tone of genuine concern, placing a hand on Catra’s arm. Her touch felt soft and almost soothing. “Shadow Weaver… She didn’t hurt you, right?”

“Hurt me? N… No! No, not at all!” Catra replied, shocked to hear something like that. Why would Shadow Weaver ever hurt her own child?

“You can trust me, Adora. If you need to vent or anything,” Glimmer said softly.

Having someone other than her own family show so much concern for her was a bit of a shock in Catra’s systems. She quickly gathered her thoughts together before they all spilt out into a messy pile. “I’m fine. I’m just a bit… tired, I guess.”

Glimmer looked at her with those concerned eyes for a few more seconds. Catra could tell what she was thinking. She could tell Glimmer wanted to help. But with a situation like this, it was almost impossible to do so.

Catra had to keep reminding herself that this was a dream. It felt so grounded in reality.

Eventually, Glimmer let out a sigh and put on a soft smile. “Just take care of yourself, alright? You… You mean a lot to me,” she said. Catra’s eyes widened slightly. She felt a soft flutter of butterflies in her chest, and cleared her throat.

“Thanks…” Catra responded. Glimmer ran a hand through her own hair.

“Well… If you don’t have your work clothes with you, you’re in luck. I always keep a spare set with me,” she said, slinging her backpack off her shoulders and putting it on the ground, opening the zip up. The two of them stood near a set of stairs that would take them down the main entrance, and they did their best not to block anybody.

“I appreciate you looking out for me,” Catra said as Glimmer fished out a few pieces of clothing that seemed to match Adora’s body size, though they’d be a tad too big for Catra to wear in her own body. Adora was much taller than her, a fact that Catra was still getting used to.

“It’s what friends do,” Glimmer said, handing Catra the clothing. “Oh, and you need a hair tie…”

“Uh, actually…” Catra mumbled, knowing that this won’t sound right at all, but she had already practically outed herself as a weirdo today, so it’s not like she could make herself look any worse. “Could you… maybe tie my hair up for me?”

Glimmer froze for a bit with the hair tie in her hand. Catra could see a gentle blush appear on her cheeks, but it quickly vanished as fast as it came, and she collected herself as soon as possible. “S… Sure, Adora! If that’s what you want!” Glimmer responded.

“I’d appreciate it. I just… kinda don’t feel up to it today,” Catra said. With every word spoken, she buried herself deeper and deeper into the hole of weirdness and confusion. But eventually, she’ll wake up and forget this all happened. So, slowly, she began to care less and less about whatever consequences there may be.

“I get that. Some days, I just don’t even feel like getting out of bed,” Glimmer said as Catra sat on the stairs. Glimmer stood behind her, running her hands through the long, golden hair and tying it up into the neat ponytail she was used to.

“I get that. Sometimes, everything just gets so… fucking exhausting,” Catra said.

“You know I’m here for you if you ever feel like that, right, Adora?” Glimmer replied. Catra couldn’t help but a smile. Even if she didn’t really know Glimmer, she was taking a liking to her.

“Thanks Glimmer,” Catra responded as she felt Glimmer take her hands away. She ran her hand through her hair, feeling the ponytail. It definitely felt neater and easier to adjust to.

“There’s the Adora I know and love,” Glimmer said.

“You prefer the ponytail?” Catra asked, slightly teasing Glimmer.

“Well, I think you look good either way… But I do have my preferences,” Glimmer replied. She grabbed her backpack. “Come on. We should change before we’re late for work.”

“Right,” Catra responded, watching as Glimmer headed down the stairs. Beneath the surface of this friendship, Catra could definitely tell there was something more going on. Glimmer acted in a way that struck a certain nerve within Catra.

The slight blushing, the way she spoke, the way she showed concern…

Catra had a feeling Glimmer saw Adora as something more than a friend.

But, as she had to keep reminding herself, this was nothing but a dream. So she shrugged it off, like she was used to by now, and grabbed her backpack to head for work. She still had no idea what it even consisted of.

But it couldn’t be that bad.

* * *

“Get a move on, Adora!”

Catra stepped out of the steaming hot kitchen and into the main restaurant building, carrying a tray of food and drinks atop her hand as she rushed towards the tables.

Of all the jobs this Adora decided to get, a waitress was the one they picked. And now Catra had to endure the night shift in her body. Having never worked at a place this busy before, she had to do everything in her power to not be completely overwhelmed.

The last few hours consisted of a blind rush that Catra barely kept up with. She went into the shift relatively positive, especially considering she got to wear a dark button shirt, black tie and nice, dark suit pants. She was a fan of the work clothes.

But as the shift went along, more and more people came. More and more orders came. Everything simply got louder and louder, and Catra felt her mind shut down ages ago, replaced instead by a drone who had to push forward to get the job done.

And of course, it came with a plethora of mistakes.

She lost count of how many wrong tables she’d been to. How many orders she had written down that were unreadable by the kitchen staff. And co-workers in the restaurant business weren’t exactly the most patient of people.

Well, most of them at least.

As she slowly came to the end of her shift, Catra saw a few tables still occupied. She had quickly made her way to the tables, but as she did, she realized that, once more, she had no idea which table had this specific order in her hands.

She kicked herself for this dumb mistake again. But the environment of this workplace did not help out whatsoever. She could barely process two thoughts. But thankfully, she wasn’t completely alone.

“That one is for table twenty-six,” Catra heard Glimmer’s voice speak as she walked past.

“Thanks,” Catra responded, going towards her destination.

Catra would be completely lost in all this if it wasn’t for Glimmer’s help along the way. Even through her own busy shift, she took the time to assist Catra when she could tell she was lost.

But at the same time, Glimmer’s help also caused Catra a bit of negativity. She never was much of a fan of someone holding her hand through absolutely everything. And she also felt like she was bothering Glimmer too much by screwing up.

It was a contradiction. She needed Glimmer’s help, but she felt bitter about receiving it.

As she finally gave out the order and put the tray away, she went to check the time. Five minutes of her shift to go. After that, she needed to get to practice. This dream felt like it had been going on for hours, and at this point, she just wanted it to end.

As she went to go clean another table, Catra suddenly heard another voice. A more sly, deeper tone one. “Hey. You there, sweetheart,” a masculine voice called out.

Catra froze as she heard the nickname. She chose to ignore the comment, moving forward and hoping it was meant for someone else. “You! I’m talking to you!” The voice called out, and Catra knew that this wouldn’t be easy.

She turned to see an older man, well into his forties, with an empty plate and a wide grin. Catra let out a quiet sigh. “Is there something I can help you with?” She asked.

“I think you can help me plenty,” the man replied. “What’s your name?”

‘What’s it to you?’ was the first response Catra wanted to make, but she bit her tongue. “… It’s Catra,” she said, almost out of instinct but also out of just wanting to give a false name. After going by Adora all day, it almost felt nice to have her real name out there.

“Catra, huh? That’s a cute name, sweetheart,” he said, using that repulsive nickname again. “Getting near the end of your shift?”

“If there’s nothing I can help you with, I’ll leave you to it,” Catra said quickly, going to walk away.

“Hey, don’t be so rude!” The man called out, suddenly grabbing Catra’s hand. Catra’s instincts spiked, and she immediately snapped her hand away from his.

“Don’t touch me!” Catra cried out, a bit louder than intended. All sets of eyes came to her direction.

“Now, now. No need to make a scene here, sweetheart,” the man said once more.

“If you call me that one more fucking time…” Catra mumbled under her breath. She went to go tell him off. She went to go call him about every curse she could think of. Hell, she even thought about hitting him where it hurt.

But before she could, she was suddenly stopped by Glimmer, who stepped in between them.

“You’re going to have to leave, sir,” Glimmer spoke sternly, standing close to Catra and blocking her path. In a way, she was almost guarding Catra.

“What for? I haven’t done anything wrong!” The man said.

“You’re harassing my co-worker. I ask that you leave now,” Glimmer said once more. The man stared daggers at the two of them, before scoffing and standing up.

“Wait until your manager hears about this…” He threatened, before walking away from the table.

“Be my guest,” Glimmer called out. As he walked out the door, she felt her shoulders loosen up, and she let out a sigh. “Asshole…” She growled, before turning to face Catra with the same concerned look she had been receiving all day. “You okay?”

“Yeah… Yeah, I am. You probably handled that better than I was about to,” Catra replied, running a hand through her golden hair.

“Oh trust me, I would’ve given anything to see you punch that asshole,” Glimmer chuckled. “But I also don’t want you to be out of a job, so…”

“It’s about a fitting conclusion to how shitty this shift has been. I’m exhausted,” Catra sighed, loosening her tie and letting herself breath a bit as the two of them headed into the back room. “I appreciate the help you’ve given. Though I feel like a piece of crap for burdening you too much.”

“It’s fine, Adora. I… I still am worried about you, but I’ll just do my best to help you out,” Glimmer smiled. “Uh… But I do have to give you a message from our manager.”

“Let me guess. Tonight was shit and I need to do better?” Catra asked.

“… Yeah, pretty much,” Glimmer said through clenched teeth, and Catra could only chuckle miserably. “I wouldn’t let it get to you. You know he kinda needs to keep his workers around. I think you’ll be alright.”

“It’s not very encouraging when we have to deal with customers like that,” Catra said. “I don’t know. I guess it’s frustrating to put your all into everything and no one gives a damn about it.”

“Well… I guess people give a damn about your piano playing. But…” Glimmer trailed off, and Catra wasn’t entirely sure why. She saw the worried look in her eyes as she glanced down at the floor, but eventually she collected herself and looked up. “Don’t you have practice tonight, by the way?”

“I do…” Catra went to check her phone. It was already pretty late and yet, this dream refused to end. What started as a nice outing had turned into one of the most stressful dreams of her life. She opened the calendar to see something that felt like a blow to her stomach.

She was already fifteen minutes late to practice.

“Fuck,” she mumbled, quickly pocketing her phone and grabbing her regular clothes. “I’m late as hell.”

“You going to be okay?” Glimmer asked.

“Well… I think Shadow Weaver is gonna be upset,” Catra assumed. She could see that those words struck an odd sense of fear in Glimmer, and she saw her eyes widen slightly as she let out a small, panicked gasp. Catra didn’t want to leave her on such a sour note. “But… I think I’ll be alright. Just gotta deal with the bullshit like usual.”

“Text me when you get home safe, alright?” Glimmer said, and Catra nodded. “And… take care of yourself. Please.”

“I will. Thanks Glimmer,” Catra smiled, before rushing out the door and towards the bathroom to get changed. Even in all the rush, Catra took a moment to look at Glimmer before she closed the door behind herself.

When she looked, she saw Glimmer gazing down at the ground with a sad smile on her face.

* * *

It took Catra a further twenty-five minutes to find the specific building she needed to be at.

The city at night was like a whole different place. The cars still kept coming and the people still kept walking, and yet, everything had a different tone to it. It was a bit more muted, a bit more subtle, and a bit more mysterious. The towering buildings were lit up, and streetlights illuminated the road.

Catra managed to track the practice building thanks to Adora’s previous texts. She was just about ready for this dream to end. It was the longest, most exhausting and yet happiest dream she had ever had. It was a bizarre combination of emotions that Catra could barely process.

But as she approached the practice building, a large theatre near the east of the city, she saw that the building was completely locked and the lights were off. There was only one figure standing out the front by a small car. Catra could already tell that this figure was Shadow Weaver.

She was horrendously late. And even from here, she could see Shadow Weaver’s death stare. It felt like it was choking her. She wanted to run away. But she had to keep pushing forward. She felt like some mystical power was forcing her legs to move.

Catra eventually stood before Shadow Weaver in silence, trying to find the words to say. Shadow Weaver looked in silence for a few minutes. She let the anxiety fester for as long as necessary. “… Get in the car,” she eventually spoke up, and Catra had no choice but to obey.

She sat in the backseat, with Shadow Weaver in the driver’s seat. She turned the ignition on and began to take Catra back in the direction of their home. There were no words shared. Not even a look. The silence was choking her.

She tried to take her mind off things by looking out to the city and seeing the lights reflected off the car window. But she was lost in that show for only a few seconds before Shadow Weaver’s venomous voice cut in. “Do you have… anything to say for yourself?”

Catra looked to her. “I… I got held up at work by a customer… And…”

“I did not ask for excuses,” Shadow Weaver immediately said. Catra knew what she wanted. And she also wanted to tell her off. But something about this woman was suffocating Catra. She could barely get the words out.

“… I’ll do better,” Catra replied.

“I do not ask for better, Adora. I ask for perfection already. Your younger years were dedicated to becoming ‘better’. You are meant to be great now. There’s no room for error anymore,” Shadow Weaver immediately responded.

“That doesn’t even make sense…”

“DO NOT talk back to me,” Shadow Weaver immediately silenced her with a barking voice. “I had informed… many important people to attend your practice tonight. People who would appreciate your ability and grant you access to new heights in your career. And you spit in their faces by not even bothering to show up. They see me as a fool now.”

“You… You didn’t think to let me know about that in advance?” Catra asked.

“I did not wish to cause you unnecessary anxiety,” Shadow Weaver said, in one of the most rich statements Catra had ever heard in her life. As she pulled into the car park nearby the apartment building, she cut the ignition and turned to face Catra. “I managed to convince these important people to attend tomorrow night. Do not be late. They’re incredibly generous to give you one more chance.”

“… Okay,” Catra responded. Slowly, she saw Shadow Weaver reach out a hand, cupping Catra’s cheek and stroking it gently with a thumb. Catra felt like a piece of ice had been pressed against her skin. She felt shivers like no other.

“You are destined for greatness, Adora. Do not squander this chance I have given you of my own good will,” Shadow Weaver said. Catra felt sick. “Am I understood?”

“Yes…” Catra mumbled. However, that response only caused Shadow Weaver to squeeze her cheek with an intense amount of force. “Yes! Yes, you’re understood!” Catra cried out, wanting the stinging pain to end.

“I’m glad to hear it,” Shadow Weaver responded, taking her hand away. Catra sucked in air, realizing she had been holding her breath that entire time. She watched as Shadow Weaver got out of the car and headed upstairs towards their apartment.

She followed behind, but as soon as she entered the apartment, she headed straight for her bedroom. She needed this dream to end desperately. The bed looked more comfortable than ever.

For the first time in a while, Catra was able to sit down, resting at the foot of the bed. She let out a deep sigh, her legs aching and her heart racing. Despite how beautiful the city was, this dream was full of stress and anxiety.

She looked up and saw the mirror. She saw Adora once more. Her blue eyes and tired bags underneath them. Catra got closer to the mirror, and saw the sad look in her eyes. “Adora…” She spoke, reaching a hand up and brushing it against her own cheek, the one that Shadow Weaver pinched earlier.

It was somewhat soothing. Almost healing. But Catra quickly took her hand away when she realized how weird that action was. She felt exhausted. As she stood up, she saw something in the room she had missed this morning among all the confusion.

A single computer, surrounded by endless amounts of paper and drawings, and decked with a small tablet and pen.

Catra raised an eyebrow. It looked like a drawing station. She went over to it, and pressed a key on the keyboard, bringing the computer to life. On it was a digital drawing that Adora seemed to be in the middle of.

It was a landscape of the city outside of her window. And although it was just a sketch, Catra couldn’t help but admire it. She looked at Adora’s other works and saw character models, landscapes, portraits, all signed under her name.

“You’re a bit of an artist, huh?” Catra said to Adora, in an odd way to speak to herself. The drawings were incredibly well done. All this talent, and yet it seemed like Shadow Weaver only ever wanted Adora to play the piano.

Catra, above all else, felt sorry for this Adora. Even if this likely wasn’t real. It was a sad tale of someone who wanted to become something, but life had forced them down another road. Catra almost wanted to take Adora’s hand and lead her towards a place where she’ll be happy.

And so, before she slept, Catra decided to leave one note. It was an act she wasn’t sure about. It was an act that slightly confused even herself. But on a blank piece of paper, she wrote only a few words.

‘Who are you?’

She knew she wouldn’t get an answer. Or maybe she already had. This person was Adora. Catra knew that much.

But why was she so prominent in her dreams now?

Catra sighed, and finally, she laid back on the bed, with a head full of questions and no answers to find. These strange dreams had been messing with her mind too much. And today, it seemed like her brain really wanted to mess with her.

She closed her eyes. And as she fell into sleep, she spoke her last words.

“Good night… Adora.”

* * *

Catra finally awoke to the sound of knocking against her door. As her eyes peeled open, she saw the familiar window to the right of her own bed, and knew she was back home in Solaris.

She blinked against the sunlight. As she sat up, she looked around to see that she was within her own room. Within her own body. The long, long dream had finally stopped. “Wildcat? You up yet?” She heard Scorpia call from outside the door.

“Yeah… Give me a sec,” Catra responded, stretching her arms above her head.

“Oh, take the time you need. You feeling better today?”

“Huh?” Catra perked up at that question.

“I said, are you feeling better today?” Scorpia asked. “You were… Well, I don’t mean any offence, but you were really strange yesterday. You sound normal today at least!”

“I…” Catra did not think she was hearing right. But as she brought her arms down from the stretch, she saw that something had been drawn on her left wrist. She held up her arm to see large words written in marker on her skin.

‘Is this a dream?’

Catra’s eyes widened. The confusion in her mind only grew larger and larger. “What the…”

* * *

“… Fuck?” Adora said softly as she saw the writing on a piece of paper asking who she was.

After the strangest dream last night about a place called Solaris, she was ready for a hint of normality in the real world. But being woken up to a few texts from Bow and Glimmer asking how she was feeling certainly wasn’t the norm.

“Adora? You okay?” She heard Glimmer’s voice coming from her phone as she looked at the writing. Adora snapped back to the phone conversation with Glimmer, though her eyes never left the strange writing.

“Y… Yeah,” she responded.

“Just making sure you’re awake. I don’t want you sleeping in to three in the afternoon again,” Glimmer said.

“Huh? I… When have I done that?” Adora asked, and she was only met with Glimmer chuckling.

“Alright, alright, I won’t hold it against you. Just be safe on your way to school, alright?” Glimmer said, and Adora assured her. After she hung up, Adora was simply left with the writing and the confusing statements from her friends. And just when she thought she’d seen the last of it…

“Don’t forget to be at practice on time. I do not need a repeat of last night,” Shadow Weaver’s voice said in her usual venomous tone as she made her way out the front door. Adora had never been late for practice once in her life. And as she heard the front door shut, she was left with silence.

Adora sat in a room, with an aching headache, confusion all around her, and everyone in her life making weird statements. And there was only one way she could respond.

“… Huh?”

* * *

When Catra entered her own classroom, she was met with a wave of confused and humorous looks from her classmates.

A few whispers went around the room and a few chuckles along with it. Catra narrowed her eyebrows, but she did not feel in the mood for more weirdness. She made her way to her desk, trying to simply focus on class.

As she got her notebooks out, she suddenly saw Mike’s hand placed on her own desk. “You know, you were actually kind of cute yesterday,” he said in his usual smug tone. But Catra saw this as an opportunity to learn what the hell was going on.

“And why is that?” She asked. Mike could only laugh in response.

“You telling me you had that much confidence in you this whole time to try and take on three people at once in a basketball game?” Mike asked. Catra had never once played a game like that in her life.

“And you won, too!” Scorpia chimed in. Catra looked at her with a look of uncertainty. This had to be a prank. That had to be a reason everyone was laughing. And in Catra’s mind, she was comfortable with that idea.

But when she opened her notebook, that sense of comfort was shattered.

Her notes were cluttered with small sketches that she had never made. Even entire pages covered in drawings of the landscape outside the window. Catra’s eyes widened, but her shock only became greater when she saw what was at the bottom of each sketch.

A signature. Specifically, Adora’s signature.

* * *

“I like that fake name you gave to that asshole at work yesterday,” Glimmer spoke as she walked alongside Adora in the school halls.

Adora thought her spout of confusion was done, but Glimmer’s words brought it all right back. “What do you mean?” She asked.

“I’m just saying. Where do you get a name like ‘Catra’ from? I’ve never heard it before,” Glimmer said. As soon as she spoke that name, Adora froze in her tracks.

“S… Say that name again?” Adora asked. Glimmer stared at her like she had a third eye.

“Catra. I heard it pretty clearly,” Glimmer said. “You okay, Adora? You told me you were fine this morning.”

“I…” Adora tried to force out an answer, but she soon felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out to see a text from her bank. Something about a large number of purchases being made yesterday.

Her first assumption was that her card had been stolen. But when she felt her pockets, her wallet was still there.

“Catra… Don’t tell me…”

* * *

Catra kept flipping back and forth between all the sketches. Adora’s name was plastered all over them. Catra had never seen this name before her dreams. And that only meant one thing.

“Did we...”

* * *

Adora scrolled through all the purchases made at various cafés and stores the previous day, processing the name Glimmer had dropped the entire time, along with the message on that paper and everything else that had been said to her.

And she could only reach one conclusion

“Did we…”

* * *

“ _Did we switch places?_ ”


	3. Building New Bridges

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During their next swap, Adora learns more and more about this person named Catra, including their songs, their family, and a past relationship turned sour with a girl named Lonnie.

A sombre end came to the intense, fantastical song.

Adora’s fingers rested on the last few notes, and they rung throughout the endless, dark halls. A light droplet of sweat fell from her forehead and onto her fingers. It was a song she had to give her all to.

She tried to hide her light panting as she received gentle applause from the few people in that room. It was only five people who had attended her practice, all eager to see how she delivered. And she seemed to have impressed them. Somehow.

What was the point anyway? She didn’t receive an ounce of joy from all this praise. She didn’t care what they thought of her. They were just people in suits, looking for their next opportunity to make a few quick bucks from their next ‘big star’. Adora may as well have been a dollar sign to them.

All they wanted was someone talented enough that they could hire and send out into the cold, brutal world of the music industry. Someone that could participate in shows, sign a few autographs, and perhaps produce some music along the way, until eventually she wasn’t ‘pretty enough’ and they gave up on her.

Adora had seen how the music industry had ruined people. And it seemed like her fate was to become one of those people.

The thought was both upsetting and enraging to Adora. It was enough for her to stand up and walk off stage without so much as acknowledging all those suits in the audience. Piano is what brought Adora success, but it also brought her unrelenting misery. What was the point in popularity if it just made her depressed?

“I’m walking home tonight,” Adora said to Shadow Weaver as she moved past her, not wanting to hear whatever empty congratulations she had. It’s not like it mattered anyway. The rest of the night would simply involve discussions between Shadow Weaver and these suits as they decided Adora’s future for her.

Adora walked out of the building, grabbing her backpack along the way and entering the cold night of the city. She had received a few texts from Glimmer checking up on her, and Adora responded as per usual.

She always told Glimmer she was doing fine, but even though Glimmer always offered to be available if Adora needed to vent, Adora never took her up on that offer. When her thoughts were dark, she just saw herself as a burden. She could never talk to Glimmer in that state, even despite there being every opportunity to do so.

Tonight was one of those nights. Thoughts of the future simply making Adora miserable. But she still told Glimmer she was fine, and she felt like crap for it. She felt like a liar. But she never wanted to burden her. She never wanted to burden anyone but herself.

As she walked through the streets of the city, the lights surrounding her and the cars flying by, she decided to test something on her phone. Specifically, something involving that… dream.

That dream. Was it even a dream? Adora had missed a whole day of her own life to that ‘dream’. The more Adora thought about it, the more logical it sounded that she really did switch bodies with someone named Catra.

But that didn’t even sound logical in and of itself. Switching bodies isn’t possible. But it was the only possible explanation, because there was no way Adora was sleepwalking for an entire day and acting like a completely different person as well. Plus, everything in Adora’s dream felt way too real.

And so, she decided to test her theory. One thing she remembered from the dream was this Catra having her own music streaming account, where she posted her own songs and covers of other songs. And so, Adora decided to type her username in.

She expected there to be nothing. She expected the results to be blank. It would be the only sane outcome to all of this.

But when the results came up with Catra’s exact profile, Adora felt a spike of shock pierce her heart and ripple throughout her body in tingles of uncertainty.

She hadn’t seen Catra before. She had never viewed her profile before. And now she was everywhere in Adora’s life. It was confusing to all hell. Adora looked up for a bit, trying to regain her bearings, before looking back at the phone. Perhaps she was hallucinating.

Nope. She definitely wasn’t.

Adora arrived at the apartment building as she scrolled through Catra’s songs. A lot of them had a low number of views. There were a few that reached triple digits, but that was about it. Adora climbed up the stairs to her room on the second floor, opening the door and entering the messy apartment.

It couldn’t have been a dream. Adora was beginning to realize that. But if not a dream, what was all this? Endless questions kept pouring in without an answer in sight.

As she went to her bedroom, Adora took the opportunity whilst being home alone to plug her phone to her speakers. She played a random song from Catra’s account, trying to see what it was like. Perhaps it might remind Adora of some deep, lost memory.

As Adora sat before her computer, she heard the clicks of drumsticks from her speaker. Quickly, it all became a tune of electric guitars, intense drumming, and chaotic vocals. It was, by all definitions, a punk song.

And it wasn’t just good.

It was better than any song Adora herself had played or heard.

Adora had to stop for a few minutes to listen, and she wondered the entire time how something with this much raw energy, passion and talent could go with so little attention. The lyrics felt like they came straight from Catra’s heart, and what surprised her even more is that everything in the song was produced by Catra.

Adora had seen Catra’s studio. Her mixing. It must’ve taken ages to nail everything down so precisely, and yet somehow, Catra did exactly that. Adora even found herself softly singing along to the chorus when she could predict the lyrics well enough.

And it was then that she realized, as she sang along to Catra’s song, that she had a smile on her face.

She surprised herself with that. She never generally smiled when listening to that much music. But this was different. As the song came to an end, Adora needed more. The shuffled playlist brought up another song from Catra.

This time, it was like something completely different.

Acoustic guitar and vocals were all that was needed in this one. It was a whole new genre, more of an indie vibe. And even still, it was done tremendously. A song about a recent break-up is what Adora was able to get from it. Seems like Catra experimented with a bunch of genres, and yet she never missed.

As her songs played in the background, Adora quickly took the opportunity to do something of her own. She opened a new document on her computer and grabbed her pen, beginning a small digital sketch purely on a whim.

She had only seen Catra a few times yesterday. She looked in the mirror that morning and noticed her heterochromatic eyes most of all. She looked at them so much that Scorpia had to remind her to get ready for school.

As the day went along, she took every chance she could get to look at herself in a window or a mirror. She was mostly trying to jog her memory on when she had seen Catra before, and if she even had.

But she also kept looking at Catra because she was just so beautiful.

As Adora sketched and listened to Catra’s music, she recalled all the events from that dream. How she was able to take on three people at once in basketball and win. How small the town was. How much nature surrounded the place. Solaris was beautiful in a way that the city could never quite capture.

But it also had its issues. Adora remembered someone called Mike, who couldn’t take no for an answer. She remembered the ‘debate’ about LGBTQ+ rights in English class that really just led to some of the people in that class giving extremely bigoted views on the matter.

She even remembered Cerata and Leah, Catra’s moms. How little they interacted with the people of Solaris, and how they never held hands in public. Despite how cute of a couple they were, they could never express themselves in the way they wanted.

It saddened Adora. For such a beautiful place, it wasn’t fully safe. In the city, most of Adora’s friends and the people around her knew she was a lesbian, and she was generally comfortable with that. There was the occasional event where someone would say something that didn’t sit right by Adora, and social media was never really a nice place to be on, but she never really felt unsafe in her environment.

Solaris was something else. Adora felt like she had to lock away that part of herself. Hearing so many ‘harmless’ jokes about queer people and topics just convinced Adora even further that this was not a safe place. Not for people like her.

She only wondered how Catra felt about a place like that. Catra did have posters of the city in her room, and her scrapbook of lyrics and plans of the future often contained thoughts of her moving away from Solaris and into the city.

In a way, Adora wished she could help Catra achieve her dream. Her talent for music, her intense motivation and her work ethic deserved to be recognized more. Adora knew it was a baseless thought. But it was a thought she had, nonetheless.

Adora couldn’t help but chuckle to herself. All of these thoughts and desires stemming from a random ‘dream’. The confusion in Adora’s mind had now subsided into an acceptance of all of this weirdness.

Eventually, she finished her sketch up. It only took a few minutes and it was incredibly rough, but Adora needed to get it down.

It was a portrait of Catra.

She tried to draw it to the best of her memory. And without a reference on hand, it proved to be difficult. But it was definitely Catra, no doubt about it. And Adora smiled as she looked at the drawing.

Adora had a passion for art. She loved sketching and drawing landscapes and people. Sometimes she even posted her art online, and it made her happy. But Shadow Weaver would never accept that career path. Not after she made Adora practice piano for over a decade.

She decided to print the rough sketch, placing it somewhere secure. Her binder book with all her piano sheet music seemed like the right spot. No one ever checked that except for herself. She slipped the sketch in and closed up the book. Perhaps it would help in the future.

As she placed the sketch away, she saw the droplets of rain beginning to scatter across the window of her room. She stretched her arms above her head, feeling her exhausted body slowly beginning to shut down. Every day ended like this.

She decided to keep Catra’s music playing quietly in the background as she laid on her bed and let her eyes close. It was almost like Catra was softly singing her to sleep. Adora liked it. She could listen to her voice forever.

And as she slept, she wondered if perhaps, she would get to see Catra once more.

* * *

As Adora slowly awoke to a new day, she saw the large window to her right.

Immediately, she felt her instincts kick in. She could tell something wasn’t right. Only a few seconds after waking up did she instantly sit up, gasping suddenly. “No way…” She spoke to herself, and sure enough, her voice was not the same.

She looked down at her body and saw that it, too, was not the same. “No fucking way…” She whispered to herself once more. This can’t keep happening. But at the same time, Adora did wish for something like this.

She scattered to her feet, but in trying to stand up on the bed, she suddenly slipped and toppled to the ground with a loud thud. Her body ached from the impact, and she groaned in slight pain, before slowly looking up.

And when she gazed up, she looked into the mirror. And Catra looked right back at her.

Those heterochromatic eyes. The shorter body. The six freckles on her cheeks. The longer, darker hair. Adora’s eyes widened, and she touched her face.

And then her brain caught up with what was happening.

“AGAIN?!” She screamed out, jumping away from the mirror. She had occasional thoughts that this would happen again, but she didn’t genuinely believe them. What kind of sick game was this?

“Catra! Are you alright?!” Scorpia’s voice suddenly sounded as she burst into Catra’s room. Adora was on the floor, a panicked look in her eyes, and the sudden introduction of Scorpia into the room became a bit too much.

Adora let out a sudden scream when Scorpia frightened her. And Scorpia also let out a frightened scream in response, though she wasn’t sure why.

It took them both a few seconds to realize they were screaming at each other for no reason. And they stopped, not daring to mention the awkward situation.

“I…” Adora cleared her throat. “I’m alright. Just… Y’know, fell off my bed. Ow…”

“Oh, I do that all the time!” Scorpia replied. As Adora looked at herself in the mirror once more, Scorpia couldn’t help but narrow her eyes. “Wait… Something’s going on today, isn’t it?”

“Huh?” Adora perked up, seeing Scorpia’s suspicious look.

“You’re acting like you were a few days ago. All weird like,” Scorpia said, walking towards Adora and kneeling before her. “Come on. You can talk to me.”

“Nothing’s going on! Just… feel a bit tired, I guess,” Adora replied. There was no way she could tell Scorpia that she wasn’t really talking to Catra right now. She would just sound insane.

“You know, you said those exact same words too,” Scorpia mentioned. Adora tried to swallow down her nervousness, though with no results. She really could not come up with a good excuse for how she was acting.

But eventually, Scorpia chuckled. “I’m messing with you. I mean, I am concerned… But if you don’t feel like talking about it, there’s not much I can do.”

Adora let out a small sigh of relief. She wasn’t exactly the best at lying, so whatever excuse she could’ve came up with would only serve to incriminate her even further. “Thanks, Scorpia…” Adora sighed, smiling at her. “I guess a sister always knows when something weird is going on, huh?”

When Adora said that, Scorpia’s eyes visibly widened.

“Did… Did I say something wrong?” Adora asked, noticing Scorpia’s shocked reaction.

“Uh… N… No! No, I’m glad you said that! I just…” Scorpia scratched the back of her head. “You always talk to me and tell me you don’t feel like you’re apart of this family just because you’re adopted… And y’know, I’ve spent the last few years trying to convince you otherwise… I never thought you’d actually believe me. You’ve… Well, you’ve just never referred to me as your actual sister before. I’m… not sure if you noticed. So hearing you say that…”

“Oh…” Adora said quietly. Compared to the company of Shadow Weaver, Adora liked this family so much. And yet it seemed like, to Catra, she felt like an outsider.

“I don’t know what’s gotten into you… But if you’ve accepted yourself as a member of the family, even just a bit, then… Well, I’m glad for you,” Scorpia smiled. She stood back up. “Anyway… You should probably get changed soon. Our moms are expecting us for the festival tonight.”

“Festival?” Adora asked, standing up herself. She was only wearing some loose pyjamas, so she’d need to change into something else, which would be… a whole different experience in another body.

“Did you really forget?” Scorpia asked, dumbfounded. “It’s to celebrate the discovery of Solaris almost two-hundred years ago! It’s a huge deal with our moms, since that’s when they get the most business! Catra, are you sure you’re feeling alright?”

“Oh! Right! That… festival…” Adora said, pretending to suddenly remember everything. “I’ll be down in a bit, okay?”

Scorpia nodded, before leaving Adora to her own room, shutting the door behind herself. “… Why did this have to happen today?” Adora moped to herself, burying her face in her hands. She could handle a regular school day, but a festival where she seemingly had to know exactly what was going on? That sounded like a nightmare.

She sighed, before standing up straight and smacking her hands against her own cheeks. “Okay… You can do this, Adora… You can be Catra for the day… You’ve done it before!” She tried to psyche herself up. “Then again, Catra did run me almost a hundred dollars short when she was in my body… I could get some payback for that…”

After a few seconds of pondering, she shook her head and reluctantly decided against that idea.

Though it wasn’t completely off the table.

As she grabbed her phone and went to go research about this new festival, she couldn’t help but wonder what Catra was up to right now in her body. Perhaps she was as surprised as Adora. Perhaps she would explore the city a bit more. Perhaps she might try to find out why these switches were happening.

Adora just hoped she still had some money left in her account when she returned.

* * *

“Thanks for stopping by!”

Adora watched as the couple moved on past her stall, admiring the new jewellery that she just sold them. It was her sixth one tonight, and she was slowly getting into the hang of this.

Compared to working at a high-paced city restaurant that did not stop for six hours, selling family jewellery at a small festival to a few people was almost a breeze. Adora much preferred this, though she did feel bad for putting Catra through a shift.

Still, Catra seemed to do better at the waitress job than Adora ever could. She only got told by the manager to do better. Adora often received… less kinder words.

The festival itself was quite beautiful. Symbols of the sun could be found everywhere, and Adora’s place was in a small market near the school. Lanterns lit up the streets, and it was all under a clear, night sky. The cool breeze felt refreshing too.

With all its issues, there was no doubt that Solaris was a beautiful place. Seeing the stars reflect in the circular lake in the middle of town was almost hypnotic. Adora couldn’t help but smile at how quiet and small this town was. It was peaceful, at least at face value.

“You don’t have to stay here the whole night, Catra,” Adora suddenly heard Cerata speak up. Her and Leah were busy making the jewellery that Adora was selling. They made bracelet and necklaces that looked like stars.

“Are you sure?” Adora asked.

“You can check out the rest of the festival! Just be here by the end of the night, alright?” Leah suggested.

It felt weird, having a mother who would smile at her and speak to her in such a gentle tone. Adora felt warmth in her heart whenever she was spoken to this way. Shadow Weaver only ever spoke gently when she was trying to get things to go her own way.

Adora stood up, looking towards the main source of lights near the center of town. She walked past a bunch of other markets selling things like clothes, dog collars, clay sculptures and plants, especially sunflowers. Everything had a sun theme to it.

But at the center was mostly games stalls, posters that spoke of the history of Solaris, a few jumping castles or other such things for younger ones to enjoy. There was also many, many food stalls. The smells were absolutely incredible, and the temptation to purchase everything in sight was higher than ever.

Well… What harm would there be in just one purchase?

Adora made her way towards the source of an almost caramel smell. The stall seemed to be selling something called a ‘bananacue’, and judging by what was going on within the stall, it seemed to be bananas that were deep fried and coated in caramelized brown sugar, before being skewered on a stick.

Adora had never seen anything like it before, but the smell was enough for her to be sold. She went to go purchase one, but before she could, she suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder.

Adora turned around to see another woman, around her age, with hazel eyes and shoulder-length brown dreadlocks. It took a second, but Adora soon recognized this person as Lonnie. And based off Catra’s entries about her in her scrapbook, they had… a bit of a history.

“Hey,” Lonnie spoke up after getting her attention.

“Uh… Hey yourself,” Adora replied. She was aware of how delicate this situation might be.

“You… You got a minute to talk somewhere private?” Lonnie asked. A cold chill went down Adora’s spine. This was something that might be sensitive to both Catra and Lonnie, and if she screwed this up…

“Sure… Just give me a sec?” Adora said, and Lonnie nodded. As she went off towards the grassy hill nearby, Adora took a few minutes to collect herself.

What did Lonnie want to talk about? If it was anything involving her and Catra’s previous relationship, Adora would have no clue how to handle it. Her heart was beating rapidly, but there was really no avoiding this. Ghosting Lonnie would just make things even worse.

She decided to purchase a couple of banancues, and walked away from the festival in the direction of where Lonnie headed. It took a few seconds, but Adora eventually spotted her sitting on the grassy hill, looking down at the lake. It was far, far away from anyone.

Adora went over and sat next to Lonnie, the soft hill feeling nice to sit on. “I… I brought you something,” she said, offering Lonnie a skewered bananacue. Lonnie looked at it in her hand for a few seconds and gave Adora a confused look.

“Seriously?” Lonnie asked, and Adora couldn’t quite decide if that was a good or bad thing to say. But eventually, Lonnie took the bananacue anyway. Adora felt a great deal of relief.

The two of them sat in silence for a few seconds, looking at the lake. The cold wind blew for a bit. The tufts of grass beneath them waved with the wind, and a few flowers flew past as the wind breezed on by.

“So…” Lonnie spoke up. “You haven’t… told anyone, right?”

That was about the worse question Adora could’ve received in that moment. “About… About what?” Adora asked.

“Catra, if that’s your idea of a joke, it’s really not funny,” Lonnie replied. “I’m asking if you’ve outed us to anyone.”

“Outed us? I… No! No, god, no!” Adora shook her head. At least, she hoped she hadn’t. Catra might’ve done otherwise. Though, Adora doubted that.

“You sure?” Lonnie spoke, narrowing her eyes slightly.

“Absolutely!” Adora nodded. Lonnie looked at her for a few more seconds, as if investigating her ever move and facial expression. Adora’s gut felt heavy in those few seconds, but eventually, Lonnie smiled at her.

“I’m glad I can trust you,” Lonnie replied. Adora felt like she was able to breathe as Lonnie ate at her bananacue. “I just get a bit nervous when Mike gives me those looks in class, y’know? I always get the sense he just… knows more than he lets on.”

“Ah…” Adora said. She hadn’t seen Mike all day, and she counted that as a blessing. “Well, rest assured, I’m not going to out us any time soon. Especially not to him.”

“Yeah, you’ve been sticking to that promise pretty well,” Lonnie replied. “It kinda makes me feel like shit, honestly.”

“How so?” Adora asked.

“Well… When I first suggested that we split, you seemed pretty hurt by it. I just… I thought you’d get so upset that you’d tell everyone that I’m bi. You know, try to get revenge or something,” Lonnie sighed.

“Oh…” Adora said quietly. She wasn’t sure how to respond to something like that.

“I know. Kind of shitty for me to think, huh?” Lonnie asked. “Everything about that break-up was just… fucked.”

“Well… Do you ever miss what we had?” Adora asked, trying to piece together whatever had happened between Lonnie and Catra.

“… I go back and forth,” Lonnie said. “On the one hand, those late nights of cuddling and talking to each other about whatever… I miss those. I miss just being able to open up about everything. You really helped me come to terms with my bisexuality. But… Fuck, I was scared out of my mind the whole time we were together. Being caught was my worst nightmare. Plus…” Lonnie wanted to add something more, but her voice trailed off.

“… You can say what you want to say. I promise I won’t take it bad,” Adora said.

“Catra, it just… felt like you cared more about your music than you ever cared about me,” Lonnie sighed. “I wanted to support you, but… I can’t just be on the sidelines all the time. Look… You already know how I felt. That argument we had was enough. I… I don’t want to revisit that.”

“Right… Right. Sorry,” Adora said. Obviously she tried to pry too deep into a wound that was clearly a bit too fresh. Even Catra herself probably wouldn’t want to discuss something like this.

“If it’s any consolation…” Lonnie sighed. “I didn’t mean it when I said I hated you. That was just a… a spur of the moment thing. We were both getting mad, and I… Look, I didn’t mean that. And I’m sorry if me saying that hurt you.”

“It’s okay. I believe you,” Adora replied. Even without the context, the genuine guilt behind Lonnie’s words was enough for Adora.

“Did… Did you mean it when you said I was a weight dragging you down?” Lonnie asked. Adora shook her head. She didn’t hesitate to give her answer.

“That was a spur of the moment thing for me too,” she responded. She felt almost guilty about taking Catra’s place in a conversation that was meant for her. But in a way, healing this relationship might do some good. At least, Adora hoped so.

“God, this town is so fucked…” Lonnie ran her hands over her face. “If we could just… be happy together without judgement, this all could’ve been a lot easier. But with people like Mike around… It just won’t ever work that way. I mean, you’ve seen how people talk about your moms, right? The things they say…”

“Yeah,” Adora replied. She had heard the occasional comment or two, even in her short time here. She only wondered how much Catra had to bear through.

“Having to debate my own rights at school is something I shouldn’t even need to do. How can someone play devil’s advocate when it comes to basic human rights? Just… fuck,” Lonnie sighed. “Anyway… That’s all I really wanted to talk about. I… Thanks. For keeping our secret.”

“I’m glad we talked. You can vent to me anytime you need to, alright?” Adora smiled at her. Lonnie returned the smile for a few seconds, before standing up.

“I appreciate that, Catra. I’ll see you around,” Lonnie said, heading away from the grassy hill. Adora sat alone, a simple wooden skewer in her hand and the entirety of Solaris before her.

A talk so personal was something Catra needed to know about. Her and Lonnie’s relationship still seemed freshly broken, but they still had a chance to somewhat heal. And that only meant one thing in Adora’s mind.

Adora and Catra needed to talk.

She stood up and went down to the market, browsing for a bit. Once she was able to find a stall that sold some stationery, Adora purchased one marker. She needed to tell Catra, and not just through a simple written message.

And so, Adora wrote down her own phone number on her arm. She could only hope Catra noticed this the next morning. There was so, so much they needed to talk about.

And Adora wanted to hear more of her voice, too.

* * *

Catra looked at the number on her arm with tired, blinking eyes.

Another switch had happened. So now the question was how frequent would this be? Thankfully the day in Adora’s body wasn’t intense as the first switch. She even got to hang out with Bow and Glimmer for a bit.

But going back and forth between lives was exhausting. Especially since she had missed the festival yesterday. She could only wonder how Adora handled it all.

And judging by the text from Lonnie thanking Catra for the talk last night, which is the first text she’d received from Lonnie in weeks, Adora definitely had some explaining to do.

Catra looked at the small text from Lonnie. A simple ‘thank you’, and yet it meant so much. But beneath it all was a sense of frustration. Why was it that Adora was able to fix something so seemingly broken for so long? Did Adora even fix anything, or did Lonnie have a change of heart?

There was only one way to get answers.

Catra opened a new text box, and sent a message to the number written on her arm. She simply asked, ‘is this Adora?’, and left it at that. She could only wonder how long it would take for her to respond.

In the meantime, she needed to shake off the cobwebs and wake her body up. And Catra knew the best way how.

She opened the door to her studio, still in her pyjamas of a sleeveless gray top and shorts, but it’s not like anyone really cared. She had an idea for a new song, one she hadn’t put down onto paper yet, but it was still fresh in her mind.

She grabbed an acoustic guitar off the wall. The morning sun shined in through the window, showing off the dust in the air of the studio. The room was filled with a light shade of purple, and the singing birds outside could’ve been music in and of itself.

The first few notes from the guitar rung throughout the studio. It was mostly for practice, but Catra made sure to record it anyway. She’d write it down later. She just needed to get it out there first. She adjusted her left hand along the neck as she played, ringing out note after note.

“I wanna lay in your arms… when the world is burning…” Catra sung softly to herself. Her voice was but a hoarse whisper, but she simply got the words out. “I wanna dig in your heart… take away your hurting…”

After the first few words, she stopped her playing. She reached up and brushed an annoying strand of hair behind her ear. An idea was festering in her mind. Something that sounded so insane, it might actually work…

Before she could write the idea down, she went to go check her phone. The text to Adora hadn’t received a response yet. Catra wondered if maybe she misread the number on her arm. Or maybe she was just being impatient.

But who wouldn’t want to talk to the person they were literally swapping bodies with?

“… Fuck it,” Catra sighed to herself, and before her brain could stop her, she had already punched the number into her phone and began to call it. Damn whatever fees may come with it, Catra needed to talk to Adora.

As the droning, ringing tone echoed through her ear, she took a second to look out to the morning sun. Solaris was always active at the crack of dawn. A way of thanking the sun for another day in light. Catra was no different. She had always been an early riser most mornings.

A minute passed. Adora still hadn’t picked up.

Catra tapped her foot on the ground rapidly, hoping for something. Anything. Just answers. A conversation. Someone to talk to. What could Adora be doing this early in the morning?

Catra was ready to go for other options. Perhaps try texting again. And just when she thought the call would end…

“… Hello?”

A tired, yet familiar voice sounded on the other end of the line.

“Adora…?” Catra spoke. “Is… is that you?”

“Catra?” Adora spoke up. Their voices that they had heard so often in each other’s bodies. They were now hearing them on the other end of a call. They were talking. They were really, really talking to each other.

“Yeah, it… it’s me. It’s Catra. I saw your number,” she responded. A long, long silence followed. The two of them unsure of what to say. What to do. No one could match up to the first impressions they had with each other.

How does one even have a conversation in the conditions they were under?

“… So…” Adora spoke up. But Catra decided to address the elephant in the room.

“We… We’ve totally been switching bodies, right?”

“Oh, thank GOD,” Adora sighed with relief. “So I’m not going completely insane. It happened to you yesterday, right?”

“Yeah, it did. Not a whole bunch happened, don’t worry,” Catra reassured. “Well… I _may_ have paid for an entire meal, but that was for Bow and Glimmer. I was being generous.”

“Yeah, yeah, give all the excuses you want. You’re gonna owe me that money back one day,” Adora replied. Catra could only chuckle. “Hey, listen… I don’t have much time to talk. Mom will flip if I don’t come out of the bedroom soon, so…”

“Oh, right. That… That’s okay. We can talk later, I guess,” Catra said. She was still getting used to just hearing Adora’s voice coming from… well, Adora. She had never really met this girl before. Everything was still processing in her mind.

“Before I go… I did write down that phone number on your arm for a reason,” Adora said. “It’s concerning Lonnie.”

“I got a text from her this morning. Something about a talk you two had last night?”

“It was a good talk, don’t worry,” Adora said quickly. “She asked if you’d outed her yet and I said you haven’t… But then we just kept talking. I… I’m really sorry, Catra. It should’ve been a talk for you. I shouldn’t have been there.”

“Hey, it’s not like you can control it, right?” Catra shrugged. “Don’t stress about it. What did you two talk about?”

“I… I think it was the argument you two had before you broke up,” Adora said. Catra felt her heart drop slightly upon the mention of that haunting moment. “When she said she hated you… Well… She told me she didn’t mean it.”

“Wait… Really?” Catra perked up.

“Yeah. She said it was just a spur of the moment thing. She also asked me if you meant it when you called her… Well, a weight dragging you down,” Adora said.

“I…” Catra sighed. That whole argument was simply a mess that she regretted. It was like two different people, full of hate and anger, had possessed them in that moment. The stress of hiding their relationship had simply crashed down upon them. “I didn’t. I didn’t mean a lot of things I said to her during that argument.”

“Don’t worry. I told her that,” Adora said, reassuring Catra as best as she could. “I think she really wants to reconnect, Catra. Y’know, start from square one. And I know it’s not my place to tell you that, but…”

“No. I agree with you,” Catra replied. “Thank you, Adora… I really owe you.”

Catra could hear the muffled tone of Shadow Weaver’s voice in the background of Adora’s call. Her concern rose at how aggressive it was, and yet Adora seemed unphased. “I have to go. We’ll talk later, okay?” Adora said, and Catra could hear the smile in her voice. She couldn’t help but return it.

“Yeah,” Catra replied. “… Take care of yourself, Adora.”

“You, too.”

With that, a click ending their very first conversation sounded in Catra’s ear.

Catra dropped from the phone into her lap. She brought her knees up to her chest, looking out the window towards the world. She had become so lost in that call that time felt like it had stopped.

Catra’s feelings were a puzzle. On the one hand, having a form of communication with Adora meant they could help each other out through these bizarre switches. And it meant someone to talk to. A friend.

But the latest switch happened at the worst time. Adora being the one to form a connection with Lonnie left a sour taste in Catra’s mouth. She didn’t blame Adora for it. Not really. But it made her question herself. Made her wonder about her worth as a person. About whether she was even a good person at all.

Catra was left in silence. Nothing but the sun, the sky, the stars and the room. She was left with a single call. A text from Lonnie. A song idea to make.

And she was left in deep, deep thought.


	4. Love and Hurt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the hurt of the future comes into their lives, Adora and Catra seek comfort within Glimmer and Lonnie, respectively. But as the swaps keep happening, Catra begins to realize something...

“And the main function of the sympathetic nervous system is…?”

“To stimulate the body’s fight or flight system. Adora, don’t worry. You’ll be fine.”

“Oh, I better be! Because if we swap when I have this test, I expect no less than a ninety percent from you!”

Adora heard Catra’s chuckle on the other end of the call. She always loved hearing her laugh. Despite having called each other almost every day for the last week, the two of them had never once grown bored of it.

Besides, these calls were necessary for their swaps. After each swap, they’d always give each other a recap of what happened, and plans for what to do next. All of this combined had made the last few swaps a bit easier to handle.

And now, with a psychology test incoming for Adora, it was likely that Catra would be in her body for it. Catra didn’t expect to be doing extra study that night, but if it meant talking to Adora more, she didn’t mind too much.

“I haven’t gotten anything less than a ninety percent on any tests this year. I think I’ll do better than you would in your own body,” Catra teased. Adora could hear her smirk on the other end of the call. She had Catra’s music playing in the background, though it was quiet. She didn’t exactly want to give away her obsession just yet.

“Oh, is that a challenge?” Adora asked. She had Catra on speaker, as her hands were busy working at another sketch of Solaris: The view from outside Catra’s home of the round lake and the wooden houses surrounding it.

“You bet it is,” Catra replied.

These last few talks had confirmed a few things for the two of them. One: They still had no clue why these swaps were happening. Not for lack of effort, but lack of information that didn’t come from shady websites.

Two: The city Adora lived in and the town of Solaris were miles apart. A three-hour train ride separated the two of them, and an expensive one at that. They practically lived on opposite ends of the state.

But three: they were still in the same time zone, and they both always called each other late at night. In fact, it was around eleven at night at the current moment, and when Adora checked, she realized this call with Catra had gone on for five hours.

Whoops.

“So… I can hear you working on something,” Catra pointed out, noticing the sounds of sketching coming from Adora.

“It’s just a… rough drawing of Solaris. The view from your house. You know how hard it is to draw this without a reference?” Adora asked.

“Isn’t that the sixth drawing you’ve done of my life now?” Catra chuckled.

Technically, it was the seventh. But Adora had never mentioned her portrait of Catra she drew a week ago.

“Look, Solaris is just pretty! I like drawing this kind of stuff,” Adora defended herself.

“You know, if I had anyone else drawing this much about me, I might be a bit creeped out by it,” Catra said. It took a while to get used to Catra’s teasing, but Adora liked to think she had slowly gotten the hang of it by now.

“Oh, by the way, I like the music you’re listening to.”

“You can hear that?!” Adora cried.

Nevermind. She hadn’t completely gotten the hang of it yet.

“I’ve been hearing it this whole time!” Catra laughed. Adora tried to play the music quietly, but it seemed to have failed. “You really like my music that much?”

Adora had already been caught, so it’s not like she could hide her obsession anymore. “Like? Catra, I love it. I can feel the amount of heart you put into it,” Adora replied. “There’s so much variety, and yet you pull off any genre. I’m genuinely so impressed and proud of you.”

A few seconds of silence followed. Adora wondered if she had said something wrong. “… You really mean that?” Catra asked.

“Of course,” Adora said. A few more seconds of silence. She could hear a shivering sigh from Catra, almost out of relief or joy.

“Thank you…” Catra said quietly. “That means a lot.”

“You deserve a lot of love for this,” Adora said. Catra cleared her throat on the other end, trying to bring herself back from that emotional gut punch of joy.

“Speaking of love…” Catra started. “I think I’ve had enough time in your body to figure out something. And it’s something I think you’re completely oblivious to.”

“What’s that, detective?” Adora asked with a smirk.

“Glimmer has a humongous crush on you.”

Adora stopped her sketching. Her pen froze in her hand as she pondered that statement for a few seconds, a slight tingle going down her body. “… No, she doesn’t,” Adora replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Are you serious? Have you seen the way she acts around you?” Catra scoffed. “Adora, come on! It took me a week to figure out!”

“I…” Adora sighed. She knew. She knew that Catra was right. She loved being around Glimmer and she loved being with Glimmer. But she also knew of Glimmer’s crush for a while now, and it always worried her. “I know… I just…”

“It’s a bit weird?” Catra asked.

“I guess… But not in the way you might think. I mean…” Adora leaned back in her chair. “I _am_ a lesbian, so it’s not like us dating would be completely off the table. It’s just… I can’t bring myself to see her in that way.”

A few seconds of silence came from Catra’s end. Adora raised an eyebrow as seven seconds passed by, and she had to check she hadn’t accidentally hung up on Catra. “Y… You’re a lesbian, too?” Catra asked, almost caught off guard.

“Uh… Yeah. What, you could figure out that Glimmer has a crush on me but _that_ fact went over your head?” Adora asked with a teasing tone. She couldn’t believe Catra was actually shocked about that statement.

“Um… Somehow… I assumed you were straight,” Catra admitted.

Adora snorted. It slowly turned into snickers. But eventually, that statement was enough to get a genuine laugh from Adora.

“You assumed I was straight?!” Adora chuckled.

“Shut up! I’m surrounded by straight people over here, okay?!” Catra responded, completely flustered as Adora could only laugh. She nearly fell off her chair as her belly started to ache from the laughter.

“You thought I was straight!” Adora had to cry out again, slowly recovering from the laughter that came with it. As she took in a few deep breaths and wiped the tears from her eyes, she couldn’t help but smile at her phone. “Well… News flash: Straight and I haven’t been on speaking terms in years!”

“Oh, you’re done laughing now?” Catra asked almost defensively, and Adora let out a few more chuckles. Catra let out an annoyed sigh, but she couldn’t help but smile as well. “Well… I think you already know I’m not straight either.”

“Yeah… Lonnie kinda told me when I was in your body, but I didn’t want to bring it up until you were comfortable,” Adora replied.

“I… I appreciate that,” Catra said. “But… I’m comfortable talking about this stuff with you. Especially now that I know we might be able to relate on a few things.”

“Well… On the topic of crushes, do you think Lonnie has a crush on you still?” Adora asked.

“Nah,” Catra replied almost instantly.

“Are you sure?” Adora said.

“Well, I’d have to question her sanity if she ever thinks getting back together with me would be a good idea,” Catra said bluntly. Adora was caught off guard by the sudden statement. “I don’t know… Love is so fucked up sometimes. I just can’t ever imagine anyone genuinely loving me. It’s not like I have anything to offer. No one could ever really care about me.”

“Catra…” Adora shook her head. She couldn’t believe she was hearing something like this. “Don’t…”

But before Adora could say anything, before she could give Catra those words of comfort, the door of her bedroom suddenly opened.

“Who could you possibly be talking to this late at night?” Shadow Weaver hissed as she suddenly entered Adora’s room. And reluctantly, Adora had to hang up on Catra out of nowhere.

“J… Just Bow! About a test tomorrow…” Adora said quietly.

“And drawing at the same time, I see,” Shadow Weaver droned, looking at the document on Adora’s computer. “This equipment could sell for so much. Why do you insist on keeping it?”

“I… I like doing it,” Adora replied.

“And will it get you anywhere?” Shadow Weaver asked. Adora didn’t bother to talk back. No words could ever make things better. Nothing ever did. Shadow Weaver simply sighed. “Go to bed. Stop being so loud and obnoxious.”

“Right…” Adora replied.

She had a million things she wanted to say. She always wanted to stand up to her. But she always was too scared to. And she hated herself for that fear, she hated herself for not being strong enough.

And in a way, she blamed herself. If she didn’t have the strength to stand up to Shadow Weaver, then maybe she deserved to be hurt like this all the time. Maybe she brought this on herself.

She went to go text Catra about the situation. But she stopped herself. Catra didn’t need the burden, not right now. So instead, Adora apologized for her phone running out of battery, and told Catra she was going to bed. Perhaps Catra wouldn’t have to worry about her then. Adora preferred it that way. When no one was burdened.

But deep in her mind, as she laid on the bed and looked out the window, she wondered one thing: How she could get away from all this one day.

If it was even possible.

* * *

“Adora? Hello?” Catra said, holding the phone to her ear as she leaned against the window next to her bed. She heard the bedroom door opening on Adora’s end, but suddenly, she was gone. And when Catra went to go check her phone, she saw that the call had been cut.

Catra could almost instantly figure out that Shadow Weaver had something to do with it. And the idea of that made her heart feel heavy. The fact that Adora was stuck in an environment like that was cruel and unfair.

Catra wanted to save her. She wanted to be there for Adora and bring her to a place that would make her happy. But she had no idea how to do that.

“Catra! Could you come down here?” Catra heard her moms call out for her from downstairs. Her train of thought was interrupted as she wondered just what her moms would want with her so late at night.

She left her room behind and went downstairs to find Leah and Cerata sitting around the kitchen table, worried smiles on their faces. Catra looked between the two of them. “Is… Is something wrong?” She asked as she sat before her moms.

“You’re not in trouble,” Cerata assured her. “Just… Your mom and I have been talking lately. About your results at school.”

“Are they… not good enough or something?” Catra asked.

“What? No, Catra, they’re incredible!” Cerata beamed.

“We are both tremendously proud of you. And…” Leah looked to Cerata. Slowly, she reached out to hold her wife’s hand as she tried to keep a smile on her face. “We were both wondering… what you plan to do with fantastic results like that?”

Catra looked between the two of them with a confused gaze. “I… I already told you. My music career. I’ll be putting everything into that once I graduate.”

“Well, yes… And we’re so glad you found a hobby like that. But…” Cerata couldn’t help but sigh. “Catra, the music industry is a… cruel, cruel place. And it’s full of uncertainty. Your mom and I… It’d really help us if you chose something with a bit more… well, security.”

“What… What does that even mean?” Catra asked.

“We love you, Catra. And we want a future for you that would make you happy and comfortable. And with results like these, you have so many options!” Leah said. “A music career… it’s just… It concerns us. That it might not end up being all you hoped for.”

Catra sat in silence for a few seconds, crossing her arms and leaning back. “… So you don’t believe in me.”

“We never said that,” Cerata shook her head.

“Then what is this? Because to me, it sounds like you think my hobbies are a load of bullshit,” Catra replied with a hint of venom in her voice.

“Catra!” Cerata suddenly spoke up.

“You know how many times I’ve had to sit through this pep talk with all my teachers?! I’m sorry I’m not another robot who can sit and write papers all day, but I’d rather do a little thing called living!” Catra yelled back.

“And you can do that! But having other options to fall back on is something that would benefit you greatly,” Leah replied.

“Why are all of you so convinced I’m going to fail?! Why does no one in this fucking town believe in me?! I’ve never heard a single one of you say ‘I’m impressed with your music, Catra! I think you’re great, Catra!’ All you know how to do is shove me down and kick me on the ground!” Catra snapped.

“I understand you’re upset…” Leah spoke softly. “We didn’t mean to…”

“I don’t care that you didn’t mean to! All anyone in this town knows is how to hurt people!” Catra yelled. 

“Catra, I will not have you raising your voice at us when all we’re trying to do is help you!” Cerata spoke up, defending her wife. “We’re not even asking you to completely give up on music! Perhaps you could take a job that would benefit from the incredible talent you have!”

“And work forty-hours a week to earn some bullshit wage over and over and over until the day I croak and die? I know that sounds like a dream to everyone else, but it’s a nightmare for me! A fucking nightmare!” Catra cried out. “I don’t want to waste away my life! I don’t want to die as just some nobody who will be forgotten about in five years! I want to live! I want to be remembered! And I’m fucking sick of everyone giving up on me!”

“Catra…” Leah tried to reach out to hold her hand. She tried to comfort her daughter.

But quickly, Catra walked away from the table, and towards the front door.

“Where do you think you’re going? This discussion isn’t over!” Cerata said.

“I’m going for a walk. Don’t worry, it’s not like I can fucking run away from here. This place is a shithole in the middle of nowhere,” Catra growled as she opened the door.

“Just… Get some fresh air. We’ll finish this later,” Leah said, holding Cerata’s hand to stop her from going after Catra.

As Catra stormed out into the night with rage in her heart, her mind went to Adora’s words. To the one person who had ever genuinely told her that she was impressed and proud of her music. To the one person who even cared.

She wanted to talk to her more. She wanted to see Adora. But she had left her phone behind at the house, plus Adora was probably in a bad state anyway.

Catra went left from the house and uphill towards another set of houses. The gentle streetlights guided her way, though most of Solaris was dark at this time of night. The moon reflected upon the surface of the lake, and that created most of the light around Catra.

She was sick of these discussions of the future. She was sick of people doubting her.

She didn’t really care where she walked, as long as it was away from all this. But after a few minutes, she soon realized that the direction she was walking was right towards Lonnie’s house.

In that moment, she almost wanted to turn back and perhaps go towards the school. But something in her mind stopped her. Something told her that maybe Lonnie was what she needed at the moment. It’s not like she’d be asleep anyway. Lonnie was always a night owl.

She approached the two-storey house with her hands in her pockets and saw that the upstairs light was still on. It was almost nostalgic to come to Lonnie’s house this late at night once again. It’s something she hadn’t done in so long.

Catra grabbed a small pebble and tossed it towards the window, clacking it on the glass. Her aim was still on point, and it was enough to attract Lonnie’s attention as she pulled the curtain apart slightly. Catra gave a small wave when Lonnie spotted her.

“What are you doing here?” Lonnie asked as she opened the window, looking down at her ex-girlfriend. “Wait… Do not tell me you’re going to play some romantic music from a boom box or some shit.”

“I’m not that desperate yet,” Catra said back, keeping her voice to a whisper as to not wake Lonnie’s parents. “Can I come in? I kinda got into an argument with my parents and need the night away from that house.”

Lonnie looked at Catra for a few more second, deciding her fate. Catra just hoped for a ‘yes’, because going back home so soon after an argument would never lead to good results. But eventually, Lonnie sighed. “The ladder is still around back. I’ll get a mattress for you.”

“You’re a lifesaver,” Catra said, going around the back of Lonnie’s house to grab the small ladder nearby a shed. This is how they always used to meet up. Catra brought the ladder around the front of the house and used it to climb up and into Lonnie’s upstairs bedroom through the window.

Of course, she always had to be up early to get rid of the ladder before anyone saw it. But it was a small price to pay.

“I’m surprised you got in a fight with your parents of all people,” Lonnie said as she pulled a mattress into the bedroom, placing it by her bed. Normally, they’d simply share a bed. But Catra understood why Lonnie wasn’t exactly a fan of doing that anymore.

“They’re not bad people. They just… said some shit that got on my nerves,” Catra sighed as she laid on the mattress. “I appreciate this, Lonnie. I… I know things are weird at the moment.”

“Well, after our last talk, I don’t think things are as awkward anymore,” Lonnie shrugged as she laid back down on her own bed, playing some gentle music that she was listening to before Catra interrupted.

“Yeah… Our last talk…” Catra sighed. The talk she wasn’t even there for. Even though Adora had given her a complete run-down of it, Catra still felt bad. She should’ve been there. Even though the circumstances were out of her control, it still should’ve been a talk that happened earlier.

That talk made Catra think of herself as a coward.

“What’d you fight with your parents about anyway?” Lonnie asked. Catra sighed.

“Just… My future. They want me to use my results from school for something… ‘more worthwhile’. It’s the same shit everyone else has been telling me. That my music career isn’t worth it and I need to find something more,” Catra said.

“Ah…” Lonnie said quietly. Catra looked up to the ceiling. She always liked the glow-in-the-dark star stickers Lonnie had on her roof. But the lack of response told Catra everything.

“… I know what you’re thinking,” Catra said.

“Just… Have you considered that they might be right?” Lonnie suggested, and Catra buried her face in her hands.

“Goddammit, Lonnie…” Catra groaned.

“Hey, don’t get shitty with me. They’re just trying to help you, and I know it might be hard to believe, but I want the best for you, too,” Lonnie said as Catra ran her hands over her face. “You can’t just rely on a miracle chance that your career will suddenly take off, Catra. You need to listen to the people in your life!”

“What about those talks we had, Lonnie? I thought you hated the idea of some generic future as much as I did!” Catra said.

“And I do! This whole fucking system we live in is a bunch of bullshit that barely treats people as human! But until that system is changed, unfortunately, we can’t do much about it. You have so many opportunities, Catra. You need to take them. Your parents just want to make sure you don’t throw your life down the drain in the pursuit of some miracle,” Lonnie reassured.

“So, what, we should just give up on trying to be something more? Not even bother because ‘what the hell can we do anyway’? Just give in to some boring, draining life because that’s the norm?” Catra asked. Lonnie went to go reply, but she was interrupted by Catra holding up a hand. “Just… Stop. I came here to get away from that argument, not sink right back into it.”

Lonnie went to go rebut that statement. She wanted to try and convince Catra otherwise. But eventually, she sighed. “Fine. Just… Fine.”

“What?” Catra asked, noting Lonnie’s passive aggressive tone.

“Nothing. Good night, Catra,” Lonnie sighed, laying down in her bed and facing away from Catra.

The two of them laid in silence for a few moments. And normally, Catra might’ve done the same. She might’ve turned away or maybe even walked out of the room. But something in her told her otherwise. Something told her that this shouldn’t be the way the night ends.

“… Sorry.”

Lonnie opened her eyes as she heard Catra say that word. She turned to face Catra. “I know you’re just trying to help. All of you,” Catra admitted.

“I know it’s hard to believe… But I really do care about you, Catra. And I know your parents do, too,” Lonnie said softly.

“I just… I don’t want to grow up being something I’m not. I don’t want to just work some mindless job just because I have to. I don’t want to live in misery just to make a living,” Catra bunched her knees up to her chest.

“I know. And… I’m the same,” Lonnie sighed. Slowly, she got out of her bed, and sat down next to Catra on the mattress. The closeness surprised Catra slightly. She hadn’t been this close to Lonnie in so long. She still remembered their last kiss.

“You’re worried about your future, too?” Catra asked.

“Yeah. But… No matter what happens, I’m just… going to do my best. Focus on the here and now,” Lonnie said. Catra took in those words.

And slowly, she leaned her head on Lonnie’s shoulder.

“I don’t think I’m as capable as you are of doing that,” Catra said. She waited for Lonnie to push her off. She waited for Lonnie to tell her to stop.

But suddenly, she felt Lonnie’s strong arm wrap around her shoulders and hold her close.

“You’re stronger than you think, Catra. And you have a lot of people who care about you,” Lonnie said, holding Catra close. The two of them sat close to each other. Nothing but themselves and the fake stars above them.

It was a warmth Catra liked. And at any other point in time, she would’ve been happy to be this close to Lonnie.

But something in her mind was different. She wasn’t thinking of her past relationship this time. As Lonnie held her close…

Catra couldn’t help but think of Adora.

* * *

“Son of a bitch…”

An exhausting shift at work had led Adora into a state where, more than anything, she needed rest. And without practice tonight, that was exactly what she planned to do. She had already texted Catra that she wasn’t up for talking much tonight, and she was understanding. The swaps were taking a slight toll on their exhaustion.

But as Adora walked out of the restaurant in her denim jeans and a large hoodie, she noticed Glimmer standing by the front door, looking at her phone in frustration and cursing to herself. “Everything alright?” Adora asked Glimmer.

“Yeah, yeah, just…” Glimmer looked at her phone for a few more seconds, before sighing. “Mom and dad are working late again. And I’m trying to get an Uber or anything but I’m running out of luck.”

“How far away is your home?” Adora asked.

“Well, if I can’t find a ride, it’s a forty-five-minute walk. Which isn’t the issue. I just…” Glimmer sighed. “I don’t like walking alone at night. I knew I should’ve driven here… Mom said she’d give me a ride but I guess she got caught up.”

“Well…” Adora put on a small smile. “Maybe I can walk you home?”

Glimmer’s eyes widened slightly as she looked Adora up and down. “I… Are you sure? You were just telling me how exhausted you were…”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ve always got time for my friends,” Adora smiled. “Do you know how to get home from here?”

Glimmer pondered for a few seconds. But an opportunity like this was too good to pass up. “Well… Yeah. Adora, you really don’t have to…”

“I know. But I want to,” Adora shrugged. “Lead the way. I’ll stick close to you.”

Adora was never one to back down once she had taken someone up on an offer. Glimmer knew that well enough. And so, she pocketed her phone and began to walk home with Adora close by. In a way, she felt like she had her own personal bodyguard.

Adora was still thinking about what Catra said last night. About Glimmer having a crush on her. And the more she thought about it, she truer she realized it was. But that didn’t stop Adora from still hanging out with Glimmer as much as she could. Glimmer was her best friend after all.

The two of them walked past large towers, flashing stoplights and speeding cars. The life of the city at night, and yet all they had was each other and neon lights. Adora followed close behind Glimmer, taking off her hoodie to reveal a dark button-up shirt she wore for work. She also went and undid the cuffs on the shirt, rolling her sleeves up to reveal her strong arms as she walked, slinging the hoodie over her shoulder. Her flexed arm holding the hoodie gave off a show of her biceps.

The display of Adora like this definitely got a glimpse or two from Glimmer, and she had to hide her slightly red face. She had to compose herself as she walked, clearing her throat and doing her best to not simply look at Adora like she was an art display.

“So… How’ve you been feeling lately?” Glimmer asked. “Any… Any weirdness?”

“Uh… Not today, no,” Adora shook her head. The swap hadn’t happened today, but it was extremely likely to happen the next day. There was usually a one- or two-day gap between these swaps.

“You sure?” Glimmer asked. “Cause… if you ever need someone to talk to…”

“I know, Glimmer. And I promise I’ll take you up on that offer if I ever need to,” Adora smiled. Glimmer wanted to leave it at that. She wanted to.

“But… You never do,” Glimmer said, catching Adora off guard suddenly. “I can’t force you to talk to me when you’re down, Adora. But… I just… I get worried that sometimes you’re trying to handle everything on your own and you’re just bottling up your feelings.”

“Glimmer…” Adora sighed.

“I know it’s not my place to say that. But you’re my friend. I don’t want you to go through… whatever you go through alone. I’m always right here to talk,” Glimmer said. She could feel Adora’s wide eyes staring at her as she spoke, and she sighed. “Sorry. Just… ignore me.”

“No, no… You’re right. You’re right,” Adora shook her head. “I’m not good at talking to people about… the hard stuff that goes on in my life. I just… Everyone else is going through some shit. Why should I burden them with my own problems?”

“Because we care about you, Adora. We love you. Friends share each other’s burdens,” Glimmer said. She looked at Adora, the person she loved. “Just… At least promise me you’ll try to speak up if you’re ever feeling… not okay.”

Adora looked at Glimmer for a few seconds. And she let out a sigh through her nose, and put on a smile. “Okay. I’ll try for you, Glimmer.”

“Thank you,” Glimmer smiled back. She lagged behind a bit to walk alongside Adora. Before Adora knew it, Glimmer had wrapped her arms around Adora’s left arm, holding her close as they walked together. “… is this okay to do?”

“Oh, it’s fine,” Adora shrugged. She didn’t feel too weird about it, but the idea of Glimmer’s crush kept rushing through her head.

The walk was mostly spent in silence. Glimmer holding Adora’s strong arm the whole time as they made their way to a more quiet area of the city. It was oddly beautiful to see the stars instead of neon lights surrounding them.

Adora hadn’t been to Glimmer’s house in a while. She almost wanted to pop in and say hi to Micah and Angella. But her exhaustion was too great, and Shadow Weaver expected her home for early morning practice the next day.

“I really can’t thank you enough,” Glimmer said as the two of them arrived at Glimmer’s home.

“I’m just glad you’re home safe,” Adora smiled down at her. “I wasn’t about to leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere.”

“Yeah… You’re always there for me like that,” Glimmer smiled. She reached up a hand to put on Adora’s shoulder, and Adora was the one to pull Glimmer in for a tight hug.

They held each other close. Glimmer on the tips of her toes as she wrapped her arm around Adora’s shoulders. Adora wrapped her arms around Glimmer’s back in a gentle embrace, but the word ‘crush’ kept flashing in her mind. And even still, Adora was unsure how to feel about it.

But as they separated, Glimmer suddenly laid a quick kiss on Adora’s left cheek.

Adora’s eyes widened a bit as she felt the kiss. She reached a hand up to feel her cheek as Glimmer stepped away, slightly horrified at what she had just done. “I… Sorry. I probably should’ve asked before I…” Glimmer stuttered.

“No, it… It’s fine. Just caught me off guard,” Adora smiled. “Um… I’ll… I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah! For… For sure,” Glimmer nodded. She took a few steps back, before turning and heading into her home, leaving Adora on the sidewalk in stunned silence.

Adora wasn’t quite sure how to process all that. She didn’t hate it… But she didn’t completely like it either. The sudden nature of it was something she wasn’t a fan of. She would’ve appreciated Glimmer giving her a heads-up. She didn’t mind sharing kisses like that with her friends, but knowing Glimmer had a crush on her…

Before Adora could sink too far into the thoughts, she suddenly felt her phone vibrating in her pocket with a call.

* * *

Catra held the phone against her ear, waiting for Adora to pick up as she sat in her studio. She had come home in the morning and to the warm acceptance of her moms, and the promise to discuss more of Catra’s future at a later date.

But for now, that night, something else was on Catra’s mind.

“Hey Catra,” Adora said as she picked up.

“Okay, so… How tired are you feeling about now?” Catra asked out of curiosity, launching straight into the conversation.

“Well, I just had to walk Glimmer home, so I don’t feel as exhausted anymore…” Adora explained.

“Okay, good,” Catra said with a smile. “So, question: Can you sing?”

“… Huh?”

“Follow up question: Can you sing and play piano at the same time?”

“Huh?”

“Follow-Follow up question: Can you sing and play piano to the sheet music I just sent you, record your playing, and send it to me so I can mix it into this new song I’m making?”

“HUH?!”

“Look, I just thought it was a good idea!” Catra said. “I’ve got the guitar down, but I figured, why not let my friend in on all this?”

“I… Catra, I don’t know how to sing!” Adora said.

“Oh, sure you do! Come on, let me hear you belt out some tunes!” Catra encouraged, eagerly waiting for Adora’s glorious vocals.

“I’m walking in the middle of the street right now. I am not singing in front of hundreds of people,” Adora rejected.

“Weak,” Catra scoffed. “But… Look, it’s your choice. I’m not going to force you. But I’ve sent you everything you need, and I assume you have the equipment?”

“I’d have to go to the hall where I do most of my practice in, but yeah. I can do it. I’ve got the key for that place anyway, since I’m the one that uses it so much,” Adora said. “But… Are you going to post this song?”

“Yeah. If you’re comfortable with it,” Catra replied.

A few seconds of silence followed. Catra could tell Adora was genuinely thinking about this, and she appreciated that. Especially given how late it was. She half-expected Adora to deny it, but then, she heard her answer.

“… Fuck it. Why not? I’ll head over to the hall now.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do it now…” Catra replied.

“Nah, I want to. Beats having to go home to Shadow Weaver. I’ll just tell her I’m getting some extra practice in,” Adora said. Catra couldn’t help but smile as she heard the response.

“You’re the best, you know that?” Catra said.

“Hmm, didn’t quite catch that. You reckon you can repeat that?” Adora asked with a smirk that Catra could hear.

“Bite me. You’re only getting that compliment once,” Catra said with a teasing tone. “Just… Send me that sample whenever. It doesn’t have to be perfect. We can have a few go’s before I compile the final mix.”

“Alright. Thanks for the offer, Catra,” Adora said. “I’ll try to have that to you by the end of the night. And hopefully before we swap.”

“I appreciate this so much, Adora. Take care of yourself,” Catra smiled. And with that, she hung up on Adora and leaned back on her seat in the studio, sitting in front of her computer. All she needed to do now was play the waiting game as Adora got the sample ready.

It had actually taken Catra a few hours to make that call. She was nervous about pulling Adora into this new project. Especially since piano playing had been something that corrupted her life, something she never enjoyed.

But perhaps, if she played for someone other than Shadow Weaver, she might enjoy it.

Catra had seen a few of Adora’s drawings online earlier in the week. Her real passion was absolutely incredible. Just thinking about those drawings was enough for Catra to pull up Adora’s account again and browse through all the drawings of the city, instruments, and portraits of her friends.

As she came across a portrait of Glimmer, she was reminded of something Adora said. That she walked Glimmer home.

Catra was unsure how to feel about that. On the one hand, of course she was happy that Adora made sure her friend was safe. Of course there was nothing wrong with Adora taking care of Glimmer.

But on the other hand, Glimmer’s crush and her closeness to Adora…

Well, the only way Catra could describe her feelings was jealousy.

But jealousy sounded too harsh. She shouldn’t be jealous, not of Adora’s friends. And yet, in her heart, that’s all she felt. She wanted to be in Glimmer’s position. She wanted to be the one to walk alongside Adora.

But why? Catra didn’t know why this jealousy was here. She didn’t know why she yearned so much for a place in Adora’s life. She didn’t know why she was always so quick to call Adora at the end of the day.

An hour passed as Catra browsed through Adora’s drawings, and eventually, she received an email from Adora’s account. An MP3 file that was designated as a ‘rough draft’. Catra smirked at the title as she opened the document.

She put her headphones on. The file was only about three minutes long, and when Catra hit play, she was met with a few notes from Adora’s piano.

She was impressed, but not surprised. Practicing for so long would clearly lead to some skill with the piano. But it was when Catra heard those words…

“I wanna lay in your arms, when the world is burning… I wanna dig in your heart, take away your hurting…”

The first lyrics that came from Adora were sung in the voice of an angel.

Catra’s eyes widened as she heard Adora’s singing. These lyrics of love and desire that hit her ears were unlike anything she had heard before. She actually found herself frozen as Adora’s singing came to her like a lullaby.

Despite not even being a minute in, Catra eventually had to pause.

She was stuck. Frozen in absolute shock at Adora’s beautiful singing, combined with the gentle press of the piano keys. Catra blinked a few times. Her heart was beating rapidly. She always thought of herself as a good singer, but Adora…

And then, it all made sense.

Catra leaned back in her seat and looked up at the ceiling. It all made sense. Why she had this desire to be with Adora. Why she was always so eager to talk to her. Why she wanted to run away to the city now more than ever.

There was only one explanation.

“Fuck…” Catra sighed. “I’m in love with her, aren’t I?”


	5. A Late Night Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora undergoes a sudden and horrifying change in her life. When she feels most alone, she finds comfort within Catra during a late night call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CONTENT WARNING: HOMOPHOBIC SPEECH IN SCENE 1 OF THIS CHAPTER

“Catra! Hey, wait up!”

The annoying voice of Mike interrupted Catra’s relatively peaceful walk home. She was actually lost in the sight of the afternoon sun reflecting off the surface of the Solaris lake.

In fact, it wasn’t even just that. Her mind was lost in thoughts of Adora. Realizing her love for her had made these last couple of swaps a bit more interesting, and yet a bit more awkward at the same time.

She knew that love was one-sided, of course. It’s not like Adora could ever love her. But Catra was used to being disappointed when it came to love, and if she kept her expectations low, she wouldn’t have to experience that same disappointment.

But now, as she walked home from a day at school, it seemed like the annoyance of the day wasn’t quite finished. She turned to see Mike chasing her up the hill, going the opposite way of his home in order to be with Catra.

“What do you want?” Catra asked coldly as Mike caught up with her, standing before her.

“Aw, don’t be like that. I just want to talk,” Mike says with a smile. A smile that Catra, to put kindly, absolutely despised. And she quickly turned on her heel, walking away from him. “H… Hey! I said wait up!” He called out again, rushing to walk alongside her.

“Just get to the point already. Did you come here to shit on my music again or something?” She asked, not even sparing him so much as a glance. Ever since these swaps with Adora, Catra had become less and less tolerant of Mike’s bullshit. And that tolerance was already low to begin with.

“Well, I saw you released a new song pretty recently. Haven’t got the chance to listen to it myself yet, but hey, I reckon it’ll be as good as your other ones!” Mike said in a tone that Catra couldn’t quite tell was genuine or sarcastic.

“Okay. Is that all you wanted to tell me?” Catra asked.

“Well… Actually, I was wondering if you were free some time this weekend?” Mike asked, putting his hands in his pockets.

Catra felt her heart drop a little bit. “… Why?” Catra asked.

“Y’know, I was just wondering if… maybe we could go out somewhere? Doesn’t have to be Solaris. I can get some train tickets and we can hit the city. Go for some drinks, have a good time, the usual,” Mike suggested.

Catra had to stop walking. She turned to face him, the afternoon sun shining on the two of them. “Are you… asking me out?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I mean… Yeah. Pretty much,” Mike shrugged. Catra looked at him for a few more seconds, trying to process these words and formulate the best response she could think of. For one of the few times in her life, she was genuinely speechless.

But eventually, Catra could only scoff. “Are you fucking serious?”

“Yeah, I’m fucking serious. You like the idea?” Mike asked with a hopeful grin.

“Look… I’m going to put this in the nicest way I can think of, alright?” Catra said, clearing her throat and taking a sharp breath. “… No. Get fucked.”

Mike’s grin quickly faded as heard those words. “… What? Why?” He asked, genuinely surprised at the response Catra gave.

“Do I really have to explain it? You’re an asshole, dude. You shit on my passion and you never listen to me when I tell you ‘no’. I genuinely have never felt comfortable around you my entire life, and the idea of going on a date with you is something that would only happen in my worst nightmares,” Catra said bluntly.

The dumbfounded look on Mike’s face slowly turned into one of gentle, simmering anger. “You could’ve just said no. You didn’t have to be so horrible about it.”

“Oh, fucking spare me,” Catra scoffed. “if I had just said ‘no’, you would’ve heard ‘yes’. I’m going home. Have a nice afternoon, Mike. Maybe try to do a bit of soul searching along the way so you realize that treating women like shit won’t get you dates or the attention you so desperately desire.”

With that, Catra turned away from Mike and didn’t bother to spare him a second glance. It was something she had been wanting to say to him for… Well, years. But only now that these swaps were happening with Adora did she feel like she could take on the world.

Adora gave her the confidence she had needed for so long. Her support drove Catra to new heights. And she felt proud of herself as she left Mike behind.

But he wasn’t done.

“So…” Mike said in a low voice. “What? Are you like… gay or something?”

Catra froze.

Her throat tightened up as she heard those words. She didn’t spare him a glance, but mostly so he wouldn’t see the terrified look on her face. “… Why do you say that?” She asked in a bitter tone.

“Because then it would make sense. Why you’d turn me down. Why you’re always such a bitch to everyone,” Mike said.

Catra looked at the ground beneath her. It felt like it was going to crumble and suck her in. Her stomach felt heavy and her heart felt cold. And yet she never turned to face him.

“… I’m not,” she responded.

Before he could say any more, Catra quickly walked away from him, increasing the pace of her footsteps. She wanted to say more. She wanted to tell him that he makes life living hell for any queer people around him, she wanted to tell him that he is the worst kind of person, she wanted to tell him that she genuinely hoped she never saw him again.

But going any further into that conversation came with so, so many risks.

The risk of saying something wrong. The risk of outing not only herself, but Lonnie as well. And the risk of Mike getting even more and more pissed and doing something irrational. Catra had seen him get into fights with the other boys in class. She very well knew how dangerously violent he could be.

“Hey!” Catra heard another voice call out. But this time, it came from someone she needed to see, and she let out a sigh of relief as she turned to face Lonnie. “Everything alright? I saw you and Mike talking,” Lonnie’s voice asked as she caught up to Catra, riding her pushbike uphill all the while.

“He…” Catra sighed as Lonnie dismounted her bike, walking and holding the handlebars at the same time. “He asked me out.”

“Are you serious?” Lonnie asked, her eyes widening.

“Dead serious. He treats me like crap and then he thinks I’ve fallen head over heels for him. And I was fine telling him off and calling him out on his bullshit, but…” Catra swallowed down some nervousness. “Then he asked me if I was gay.”

“Oh shit… You… You think he knows?” Lonnie asked, a genuine tone of fear in her voice.

“I don’t think so. But… it still shook me up. I told him I wasn’t and left it at that, but…” Catra sighed, burying her face in her hands. “Fuck, Lonnie…”

“Your hands are shaking,” Lonnie pointed out, and Catra took her hands away from her face to look at them. Sure enough, they refused to stay still. No matter how much she tried, they continued to shake.

But then, Lonnie placed her hand over Catra’s. Her palm resting against hers.

Catra’s eyes widened a bit and she looked up to Lonnie. “Thanks…” Lonnie said. “For keeping our secret safe. For… For pushing through that. You’re brave, Catra,” Lonnie said, smiling up at her.

Catra looked back down at their joint hands. She had to glance around to make sure no one was watching them, before intertwining her fingers with Lonnie’s and holding her hand. Something they hadn’t done in almost months. “I don’t feel brave,” Catra shook her head.

“You are. Trust me,” Lonnie said.

“I just… I wish we didn’t have to do this. Hiding ourselves…” Catra said sadly.

“I know. I do, too,” Lonnie replied. “… Do you think, one day, we won’t have to?”

Catra pondered that question for a while. But eventually, she nodded. “Yeah… I think so. One day, we’ll just… be able to exist. Without judgement or fear.”

“I like the sound of that,” Lonnie smiled. Catra returned the smile. It was a warm thought. Something that was able to calm her shaking hands as the two of them walked home, though eventually Catra had to take away her hand from Lonnie’s for safety. And… for other reasons.

Lonnie’s hands felt so warm. And yet, Catra wondered what Adora’s hands would feel like wrapped around her own.

* * *

Of course Shadow Weaver made Adora play one of the most difficult songs in front of Mr. Jefferson.

As the song came to its end, Adora felt physically exhausted. Her fingers were aching against the keys and her body felt sore. Eleven minutes of intense playing, not missing a single key and not making a single mistake. That’s what Shadow Weaver demanded.

And out of everyone, Mr. Jefferson is the one who was most eager to see Adora’s skill. Adora hated being watched like this. Besides, she had to do double the playing recently to get everything right for Catra’s song. Her fingers felt like they were about to fall off.

But eventually, the last few notes rung out throughout the hall, and Adora was finally finished. She nearly collapsed, sweat beading down her forehead and hitting the piano keys.

She never felt lost in the music. She always felt like she was competing against it. A race to keep up, where one single mistake could send her tumbling down. Music and her were never dancing together. They were always at odds.

But as Adora finished, she heard the claps coming from Mr. Jefferson. She looked up to see a smile on his face. She sat back up, sucking in air and trying to keep herself up as Shadow Weaver emerged from around the curtain, not even sparing Adora a glance.

“I’m so glad you liked my daughter’s playing,” Shadow Weaver said to the man in the audience as Adora fought to catch her breath.

“Oh, I absolutely love it. I have never seen such intensity in piano,” Mr. Jefferson pointed out. “In fact… I would like to extend the two of you an offer that I’m only going to make once.”

Adora’s ears perked up as she heard this, and she turned to face the two of them. “An offer?” Shadow Weaver asked.

“I have been looking all over the city for someone to star in an upcoming season of America’s Next Young Star. And I think I’ve found just the perfect candidate,” Mr. Jefferson said with a wide grin. “I’d like to hire Adora to star in the show. It’s an opportunity for her talent to be widely recognized, and she even has a shot at winning half a million dollars.”

Shadow Weaver’s eyes widened. “Are you… certain?” She asked, barely believing her ears. Adora was even slightly caught off guard. But the sudden weight in her stomach felt like it was choking her.

“You would have to move up to New York, but I have contacts who can make moving apartments a breeze. This can really kickstart Adora’s career into stardom!” Mr. Jefferson said, raising his hands as if he was offering the greatest thing in the world.

“Wait…” Adora shook her head, her eyes wide. She could barely believe what she was hearing, but it was for all the wrong reasons. “Moving states? But I have friends here, I can’t just…”

“We accept!” Shadow Weaver cut Adora off before she could ask questions. Adora felt her heart jump a few beats as Shadow Weaver answered for her.

“Wonderful!” Mr. Jefferson smiled, clapping his hands together. “I have your email, so I’ll be in touch soon, alright?”

“Hold on, I haven’t even…” Adora stood up and tried to approach the two of them, but before she could get any words out, Shadow Weaver’s hand snapped to her hand, her long fingers digging into Adora’s wrist.

“Absolutely. Thank you so much for this,” Shadow Weaver responded as Adora gritted her teeth, trying to push through the pain. She couldn’t even get any words out until Mr. Jefferson was gone and Shadow Weaver loosened her grip.

“You… You didn’t even ask me…” Adora said to her mother, looking at her with horrified eyes. “I have friends here; I have people I care about… Why…”

“I made the right choice for both of us. You are young and naïve; you couldn’t possibly understand the importance of this. I had to accept before you said anything that ruined us,” Shadow Weaver snapped. Adora had the same horrified look on her face, and Shadow Weaver’s shoulders loosened a bit. “Oh, Adora… Don’t be upset. You’ll thank me in the future for this.”

Adora felt Shadow Weaver’s long fingers brush against her cheek, sending cold tingles throughout her body. Whatever words she had for her mother were caught in her throat, and she had to swallow back the absolute dread in her heart.

Shadow Weaver was overjoyed. A new home, financial security. That is how she viewed all this. She would finally have achieved what she wanted for so long, to live comfortably and without worry.

But Adora felt sick.

* * *

The feeling of being on the verge of throwing up was one of the worst feelings in the entire world. Adora hated it so, so much.

It was so late at night and yet Adora could barely get any sleep. The feeling of sickness in her stomach kept rising up her throat. She could only lay in her bed and look up to the ceiling, trying to push through this poisonous feeling.

Everything had changed so suddenly. A few hours ago, things were so normal. She had the weekend to look forward to, and perhaps another swap with Catra. Well… Things were about as normal as they could be.

Now, her life had been flipped upside down. Now, in the near future, she’d be torn away from her friends. From Bow. From Glimmer. From Catra.

The distance between Solaris and New York was so immensely great. And it’s not like Adora could ever have time for her friends. Once she touched down in New York, she’d probably be forced into the hard work of this show. There’d be no breaks. No joy.

She looked over to her phone. Glimmer would likely be asleep by now. But she knew one person who always liked to stay up late. One person who might be up to listening to her.

Adora grabbed her phone and, before she could stop herself, she began to call Catra.

She was tempted to hang up so many times as the ringing tone buzzed in her ears. She didn’t want to bother Catra. She didn’t want to be a burden. She didn’t want anyone to worry about her like this. It’s not like she was going through the most suffering in the world, after all.

But before Adora could get a chance to cut the call, Catra picked up. “Adora?”

“Catra…” Adora sighed, and instantly, she felt tears form in her eyes. “It’s so good to hear your voice…”

“Are you alright?” Catra asked, noting Adora’s shuddered breaths and weak tone. Adora wanted to tell her that everything was fine. But she couldn’t hide this. She _shouldn’t_ hide this.

“No…” Adora shook her head. Her voice choked up a bit as she spoke. “Just… Tell me everything will be okay… I don’t care if it’s a lie, just… I need to hear you say it…”

She felt bad for leaving Catra in the dark, and she was probably completely confused. But Catra never hesitated. “Hey… Adora, everything’s going to be alright. I’m right here with you. You’re not alone,” Catra whispered, her soft tone right against Adora’s ear.

Adora could only let out a whimper. God, it was exactly what she needed.

“Everything will be okay, Adora. I’m not leaving you. You mean so much to me. Okay?” Catra said gently. Adora could only hold the phone to her ear as she brought her legs up to her chest.

“Shadow Weaver accepted a deal…” Adora said through a choked voice. “I’m… going to be moving states for some stupid talent show… Up to New York…”

“Adora…” Catra sighed.

“I don’t want to go, Catra. I don’t… And I know I should be happy, I know I should be thanking how lucky I am, but… I can’t. I just… I fucking can’t… I feel so sick…” Adora said, letting the first few sobs ripple out through her body.

“You can cry. It’s okay,” Catra said softly.

And that was all Adora needed to hear.

Painful, agonizing sobs shot out from deep within her chest. They ripped her throat on the way out, and her whole body jolted with each sob that she tried to keep back. Tears leaked down her cheeks.

“I know I shouldn’t even be saying this to you… When this is all you want…” Adora said through gritted teeth, burying her fingers in her hair and trying to stifle her sobs so that Shadow Weaver wouldn’t hear. But the tears were there. They were staining the pillow beneath her.

“There’s a difference, Adora. I want to make it big. But you never even got a choice. Shadow Weaver stole that right from you. And that’s so fucked up beyond belief. You’re allowed to cry and feel upset over this,” Catra reassured.

“I just want to stay here… I want to see you…” Adora admitted.

“I know. I want to see you, too,” Catra replied. Adora had to retreat into that thought. The thought of seeing Catra and being able to hug her. The thought of really feeling her body against her own. The thought of seeing Catra’s smile in person.

“Hey… You know what? Let’s do that.”

“Do… Do what?” Adora asked, raising her head a bit as her sobs slowly began to grow less frequent.

“Meet up. I can take a train to the city and we can meet at the station. Spend the day together,” Catra offered. Adora looked at her phone with wide, tear-stained eyes.

“Aren’t the tickets for a train to the city expensive…? And won’t your moms say something?” Adora asked.

“We can worry about that another time. But I promise, I can afford the tickets. No price would be too great if it meant I got to see you,” Catra said. “Do you like the sound of that? We can even do it this weekend.”

“I…” Adora sniffled, but eventually, she nodded. “Yeah. I’d really like that.”

“Would it make you feel better?” Catra asked.

“It would. It really, really would,” Adora smiled. She wiped the tears from her eyes and went to lay on her back, looking up at the ceiling again. “Sorry… For calling so late like a blubbering mess.”

“You have no reason to be sorry. It’s okay. Besides…” Adora could hear the clicks of a mouse from Catra’s end of the call. “I was about to check how our little song was doing. The one I published this morning.”

“Oh yeah… That one…” Adora said. The song was about a week worth of effort on Adora’s part, but she had… mixed feelings about making a song with Catra. Feelings she hadn’t exactly shared with her out of fear of upsetting Catra.

“You wanna see how many hits we have?” Catra asked.

“Sure,” Adora responded.

A few more clicks of the mouse. But eventually, Adora heard a sharp gasp come from Catra. “Holy shit…” Catra said quietly as her eyes came to rest on the stats of the song.

“How is it?” Adora asked. A few seconds of silence followed. “Catra?” She asked, wondering if something had gone wrong.

But soon enough, Catra could only let out a shocked laugh.

“Adora, it’s…” Catra could barely get the words out. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. “It’s got ten-thousand hits… and counting…”

“Wait, really?” Adora asked, her eyes widening at the immensely high number.

“I… I’ve never even broke a thousand…” Catra said, gasping out the pent-up emotion and joy as she saw the high numbers. “Adora, this… This is a hit! I… Holy fuck… Holy fuck!”

“Catra, congratulations!” Adora said, a genuine smile on her face. Being able to hear Catra’s happiness was enough for her to feel a little bit better about everything. “This is all because of your hard work!”

“Don’t sell yourself short. Your singing is… God, Adora, I can’t believe how good your voice is!” Catra said

“Oh, please, yours is way better,” Adora chuckled.

“This is so amazing! Adora, it’s… I’ve dreamt of this for years!” Catra cheered, and Adora couldn’t get the smile off her face as she rolled onto her side, holding the phone close.

“And I’m so, so proud of you!” Adora said. “So… What happens next?”

“I…” Catra went to go respond instantly, but soon enough, her voice slowly faded. She went silent as Adora asked that question.

“Catra? You okay?” Adora asked after Catra went mute for ten seconds.

“… I make another one,” Catra said outright. “I… I do another song. Like always.”

“Got any ideas in mind?” Adora asked.

“I don’t know… I just…” Catra let out a slow sigh. “… What’s happening?”

“Huh?” Adora spoke up, surprised as Catra’s sudden change in demeanour.

“I thought… I thought this would feel… different,” Catra admitted.

“How so?” Adora said. She could hear Catra’s tone change from one of joy to one of… well, not misery, but deep, deep thought.

“I thought that when I released a hit song, it would be bigger than this. That I would finally be happy or… Y’know, finally have a purpose in life! That everything would make sense! But…” Catra went silent for a bit. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy. But… It doesn’t feel like anything’s really changed. I still have to make another song. I still… have to do the same thing I always do. This just… This feels underwhelming.”

“Oh…” Adora said softly. She could understand where Catra was coming from. Making it big, producing something that becomes a hit, it’s a massive rush of joy. But soon, it’s overcome with the understanding that life still goes on. That rush wasn’t everything one hoped for.

And of course, that always leads people on to chasing the next rush. And the next. But in Catra’s case, she wasn’t sure how to feel. She had dreamt of this exact moment for years, but now, she simply felt happy. She didn’t feel fulfilled or like everything made sense now. It was the same as always.

“… Can I admit something?” Adora spoke up.

“What’s that?” Catra replied.

“I… Making this song… Well, the whole part where I actually had to make the music… I didn’t like it. I’ve always hated playing piano and this was no different,” Adora said. The guilt hit her stomach like a truck as she said that.

“Oh…” Catra let out a quiet sound.

“But!” Adora quickly spoke up. “The fact that we were making music together… The fact that I could simply do something with you… That’s what I enjoyed about this. Sending samples back and forth and just talking to each other about the song… That’s what I loved most.”

A long, long silence followed. Adora felt like she had said every single thing wrong. And she wouldn’t be surprised if Catra simply hung up on her there and then. She would’ve brought it on herself.

“… You know what?” Catra spoke up. “I think I’m feeling… something similar.”

“You are…?” Adora asked, almost surprised to hear Catra say something like that.

“These big numbers… These comments of love… I appreciate them all. I liked making this song. But…” Catra let out a gentle chuckle. “The best part of all this was just hearing you sing.”

“Catra…” Adora let out a joyful sigh as she heard that. “That’s such a cheesy thing to say.”

“Shut up,” Catra snickered, and Adora let out a soft laugh. “I… Thank you, Adora. For doing this with me. I’m… beginning to realize a few things.”

“And what’s that?” Adora asked.

“I love music. I love making music. But seeing how this industry has hurt you… And seeing how I’m feeling right now… I don’t know, it’s just got me rethinking a few things. I don’t have the answers, but… Maybe becoming some big star isn’t exactly the dream I really want,” Catra said.

“Oh, thank god…” Adora let out a long sigh of relief. “I’ve always been scared of the music industry hurting you. I… I don’t want anything bad to happen to you. So hearing you say that… It’s a relief. And I know that makes me sound like a jerk.”

“Nah, I get it. I don’t know… I just have to think on a few things. But I’m glad I’m thinking about them. I still don’t want some generic future… But I also don’t want to keep chasing this high if it is just keeps causing me pain,” Catra said. “And… I really have to thank you for being the one to help me realize all this.”

“I didn’t do anything. This is all you. This is all because of how incredible you are,” Adora smiled. As she talked, she suddenly began to realize that her eyes were feeling heavy, but she quickly snapped them open. “You have so much talent… And I just want to see it be put to something that’ll fully appreciate it, instead of exploiting it.”

“Exploiting talent is what capitalism does best, huh?” Catra let out a dry laugh. Adora chuckled, but the laughter slowly turned into a long yawn that she tried to fight back. “You getting a bit tired over there?”

“Not at all… I’m gonna stay up all night and talk to you,” Adora said, but her heavy eyes were beginning to betray her. “I don’t want to fall asleep… Cause then I’ll be a day closer to leaving everything behind.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll see each other soon,” Catra said.

“I know… But I still don’t want to go,” Adora replied, letting her eyes close but still fighting to stay awake.

“Well… At least we’ll still be able to swap, right? I don’t know if that’s ever going to end,” Catra said.

“I guess… But I want to see you in person. It’s not the same being in your body,” Adora said. A cheeky smile crawled on her face as her tired thoughts began to take over. “You’re short.”

“Bite me,” Catra replied, and Adora let out a tired chuckle, followed by another yawn. “Come on, Adora… I know you need some rest.”

“Nooo…” Adora mumbled, the phone slowly slipping from her hand. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me… I don’t want to fall asleep on you…”

“It’s alright. I’m probably going to get some rest myself,” Catra said as Adora tried and tried to fight against her body. “And… You’re the best thing that’s happened to me, too.”

“I wish you were here…” Adora slurred her words. Slowly, she was beginning to surrender to sleep. No matter how hard she fought, there was only one way this night was going to end.

“I know. I wish I was there, too,” Catra said back. “and one day, we’ll be together. Okay?”

“You promise…?” Adora asked. Her mind could barely process anything. But before her body fell asleep and before she dropped the phone from her hand, she heard Catra’s last word.

“I promise.”

And with that, Adora passed out, still on a call with Catra.

* * *

A sudden rumbling of thunder awoke Adora as the cold wind blew all around her.

Her eyes flickered open to see nothing but dark clouds surrounding herself. The howling of the wind swallowed every other sound, even Adora’s own thoughts.

She had to regain her senses in a few seconds, and when she looked around herself, she saw that she was falling.

Just like all those weeks ago when she wished upon a star. Somehow, she had ended up above the clouds, rapidly falling to the ground. But this time, she was surrounded by a heavy, deadly storm. One so loud that her own screams could barely give off a sound.

Why was she here now? She hadn’t had this dream since before her and Catra’s first swap. And it was even more terrifying, as lightning struck all around her, threatening to pierce her chest and end her life.

Even if this was just a dream, it felt way too real and way too horrifying. She would likely wake up soon, but until then, she was stuck in this nightmare of falling to her death.

But amongst the howling of the wind and the cracks of thunder, Adora was able to hear another scream, just barely. One that sounded all too familiar. She tried to slow her falling to get a good look around herself, and eventually, her eyes came to rest on another person falling with her.

It was Catra.

Just like in the first dream, Catra was falling alongside her. “Adora!” She cried as she spotted her partner. “Why is this happening?!”

“I don’t know!” Adora screamed, trying to make her way over to Catra. But the intense wind and thunder was blowing her majorly off-course. No matter how much she tried, she could not fight nature itself.

“Adora, grab my hand!” Catra cried, trying to reach out to her. “Please!”

“I’m trying!” Adora replied. But when she glimpsed down at the ground, she saw that it was rapidly, rapidly approaching. They had only a few precious seconds. But even at the very end, even in this nightmare, Adora did her best to reach out.

And she came close. She came close to grabbing Catra’s hand. She came close to reassuring Catra that they’d be alright, even if she didn’t believe it herself. Neither of them knew what was going on. But perhaps grabbing each other’s hand would’ve given them some comfort.

And perhaps it might’ve made the impact of hitting the ground hurt a little less.

* * *

“CATRA!” Adora screamed as she jolted awake, the last image of that nightmare being Catra’s body crumbling against the ground with her hand still stretched out to Adora.

She sat up quickly, her hand reaching out for Catra before she realized that the nightmare was over. But as Adora looked around, she noticed the window to her right, and the tidier room that surrounded her.

The nightmare had ended, and she had swapped with Catra.

In a way, she was just glad that Catra was alive. Even if it was just a nightmare, it felt so real. And Adora had no idea what was a dream and what was reality these days.

She brought her outstretched arm back and wrapped it around her own body, hugging herself and, in a way, hugging Catra. “You’re okay…” Adora whimpered, chuckling at her own fear but also out of the joy. She never wanted Catra to be hurt.

Catra likely experienced the same nightmare. Maybe she’d be currently experiencing the same joy of Adora being okay. Maybe.

But as Adora hugged herself, she noticed something on Catra’s wrist.

“Huh?” She mumbled to herself, taking her arms away. She looked at Catra’s right wrist and saw something she had never seen before in their swaps. She raised an eyebrow as she gazed upon it. “What… is this…?”

On Catra’s wrist was three, bold, almost tattoo-like stripes.


	6. Rejection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora and Catra unravel the mystery of the strange markings, all while dealing with the complex relationships they have with Glimmer and Lonnie, respectively.

No matter how much warm water or soap she ran it under, Adora couldn’t seem to get the stripes off.

She had been furiously scrubbing at them with her hands and a towel, but to no luck. Like a tattoo, they refused to come off. Catra never told Adora about any tattoo, which she would think was a pretty important thing to bring up.

Thankfully, today was the beginning of the weekend, and she didn’t have to go to school wearing something with long sleeves to cover the markings up. No doubt the school at Solaris wouldn’t approve of tattoos or other such markings.

There wasn’t even a tattoo shop in Solaris in the first place. So when the hell did Catra even get this? Nothing really added up. And it’s not like Adora was going to reach answers on her own any time soon.

She emerged from the bathroom and headed for the bedroom, covering her wrist the whole time so that Scorpia or Catra’s moms wouldn’t catch the stripes. Today was a relatively warm and beautiful day, so she’d need to be out soon anyway. Catra’s moms always loved getting their kids out during this weather.

Adora grabbed Catra’s phone from her bed and opened it. She had to scroll through her contacts to find her own name. Catra had a _lot_ of explaining to do. And so, she decided to call… herself.

Adora held the phone to her ear, and prepared for one of the weirdest experiences of her entire life. She looked at the stripes on her wrist again. There was nothing too distinctive or flashy about them. Just three, simple, bold stripes, all vertical and placed side-by-side.

“Uh… Adora?” Catra finally answered the call. But being that she was in Adora’s body, Adora basically had to hear her own voice talking to her through a phone. Whilst someone else was in her body. Whilst she was in someone’s body.

They generally avoided calls during swaps for this exact reason: this was _extremely_ fucking weird.

“Catra?” Adora spoke up.

“Oh god, I hate the sound of my own voice,” Catra chuckled. “I was just about to call you, but I was sitting here mentally preparing myself for… well, this bizarre everything.”

“Well, this isn’t the only weird thing that’s happening today,” Adora said, looking at the stripes yet again. “When did you feel like telling me you were getting a tattoo? Actually, scratch that, _how_ did you even get a tattoo?”

Adora expected an answer. In fact, she expected any response at all. But all she got was dead silence from Catra. Enough for her to raise an eyebrow. “Uh… Catra? You still there?” Adora spoke up after about twenty seconds, wondering if everything was alright.

“I…” Catra stuttered. “I was… about to ask you the same thing.”

“Huh…?” Adora raised an eyebrow.

“On your wrist… There’s three stripes. I can’t get them off,” Catra explained. Adora’s eyes widened as she heard this. She felt her heart skip a few beats. “… It’s the same exact marking for you, isn’t it?”

“Y… Yeah… And did you have that nightmare last night, too?” Adora asked.

“I did. I tried to reach out to you in the storm…” Catra said. Adora looked at her wrist just a bit longer before Catra spoke up once more. “Adora, I… I don’t think we have much time.”

“What do you mean?” Adora asked.

“These stripes…” Catra sighed. “I think they’re a countdown. Like… We have three more swaps left.”

“What…? How do you know that?” Adora asked, shaking her head. “That can’t be right.”

“It’s just a theory, but… Well, do you have any other explanations?” Catra asked. Adora pondered for a few seconds, desperately trying to think of what these stripes could represent.

They can’t be a countdown. Adora refused to accept that. Not being able to swap with Catra, combined with moving states, that would practically mean the end of everything. Adora didn’t want to believe that.

“Look… I’m going to do a little research of my own. See if I can find anything on these stripes. But until then, I’m sticking with my countdown theory. And…” Catra let out a shuddered sigh. “That means we don’t have much time left.”

“Don’t…!” Adora cried out a bit louder than intended. She realized that her throat was tightening up, and she had to swallow down the lump and push through the forming tears. “Don’t say that. Please. We don’t know yet.”

“I don’t want to lose you either, Adora. But… These swaps weren’t going to last forever,” Catra said. Adora could hear Catra’s voice growing more and more frail.

“Why not? Why can’t they last forever? Why can’t I have one fucking good thing last in my life?!” Adora asked.

“Adora, this doesn’t mean the end!” Catra suddenly spoke, cutting off Adora before she could say any more. “I’m going to see you, remember? And I’ll make it soon. I promise.”

“But… I have to move states… We’ll be so far away and I’ll be so busy and…” Adora sighed. “These swaps always made me feel so close to you… I don’t want them to end.”

“Adora…” Catra choked out. A hint of melancholy escaped her throat, and in that moment, Adora simply wanted to hug her close. She wanted to run her hand through Catra’s hair and tell her that everything would be alright. But eventually, Catra cleared her throat. “Look… It’s like you said. Maybe I’m wrong and these stripes are something different. We won’t know until we find out.”

Adora appreciated the optimism, even if she could tell that Catra didn’t really believe it. But soon enough, she felt Catra’s phone vibrate in her hand, and she checked to see a text pop up. “Uh… Catra?” Adora spoke up as she read the text.

“Yeah?”

“I… I just got a text from Lonnie. She wants to… um… meet up,” Adora said. “What should I do…?”

“Ah… Well, I’m sure it’s nothing huge. You can probably handle whatever she throws at you,” Catra said. Adora appreciated the trust placed in her. “But… one thing.”

“Hm?” Adora asked as she went to browse Catra’s closet for the best clothes in warm weather.

“If she… Well… Look, I know this might sound bad, but if she wants to get back together or something… You’re going to have to reject her for me,” Catra said, catching Adora off guard.

“Reject her? But… Don’t you want to get back with her?” Adora asked, always assuming that Catra crushed on Lonnie through all this. After all, the end of their relationship seemed too bitter and abrupt, a consequence of the place they lived in.

“I like her, but… Well, I just like us as friends. We’ve been really getting along lately and a relationship might ruin everything all over again. Plus…” Catra seemed like she had more to say. It seemed like she had something to add on. But eventually, she decided against it. “Look, I’m sure it’ll be fine. But just don’t get me in a relationship, alright? I know you’re cute and all, but try to tone it down just for today.”

“I’ll do my best,” Adora chuckled. “You stay safe, alright?”

“I will. We’ll be okay, Adora. As long as we have each other,” Catra replied, and with that, she hung up before Adora could get a response in.

Adora lowered the phone from her ear and she looked up to the closet mirror to see Catra staring right back at her. Tears were welling in her eyes, and her lips were wobbling slightly. Adora put on a brave voice for Catra, but underneath, she was on the verge of breaking down.

She didn’t want to lose this closeness. These… feelings she had for Catra. She didn’t want this to end. Adora raised a hand up and stroked her own cheek, feeling Catra’s skin.

She let out a shuddered sigh. And made a promise.

“I’m not letting you go.”

* * *

“Took you long enough!”

Despite all these swaps, Adora still had yet to get used to the layout of Solaris. What should’ve been a five-minute walk turned into her going around the entirety of Solaris trying to find Lonnie, only to realize that if she walked the opposite direction from Catra’s house, she would’ve been there in no time.

Pushing past the embarrassment, she gave a wave to Lonnie. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to hold you up.”

“It’s fine,” Lonnie shrugged. She sat atop her pushbike near the entrance to a trail. This exact trail led all the way up Mt. Riverholm, the only mountain climbable in Solaris. “I don’t know if you’re busy or anything, but I thought we could take a walk on the Riverholm Trail today? Y’know, like we used to. I can even bike us most of the way there.”

“You sure? That trail seems pretty steep,” Adora pointed out. Lonnie scoffed.

“Are you doubting my thighs of steel, Catra?” She asked with a smirk. Adora chuckled in response, knowing that Lonnie was always up for a challenge like this. “We’ll have to leave the bike behind once it gets too steep, but I reckon I can get us a pretty good distance.”

“Alright, if you say so,” Adora replied. Lonnie scooted up a bit, making room on the large bike seat for Adora to sit behind her, her legs hanging over the side of the bike. She had to wrap an arm around Lonnie’s waist to hang on, but Lonnie didn’t seem to mind.

And with that, Lonnie gave the first push uphill. Adora was surprised at how easily she was able to bike uphill with two people, but she always saw Lonnie on that bike wherever she went. It seemed like her preferred mode of transport anyway.

Only a couple of minutes were spent going uphill, before the trail took a left turn and became relatively flat as it went around the mountain. From there, it was relatively easy biking. Lonnie pumped her legs and kept the bike going at a steady speed.

As they went along the track, the two of them got a good view of Solaris besides them. The day was clear, with barely a cloud in sight. The sun shined upon the two of them as they felt the wind hit their faces. The tufts of grass across the hills swayed with the gentle wind.

“Kinda beautiful, huh?” Lonnie said as they biked together. “As shitty as this place is, it’s got its perks.”

“Agreed. I love drawing this place,” Adora admitted without thinking, lost in the sights.

“You can draw?” Lonnie asked, raising an eyebrow. Adora immediately realized what she just said, and her cheeks flushed red.

“Uh, o… on occasion! Just… sketches! They’re really bad!” Adora replied with a panicked tone. Maybe Catra could draw, but that was definitely not a trait she was into. Adora wondered if her cover-up worked as Lonnie stared at her for a few seconds.

But eventually, she could only chuckle. “Have you ever sketched me?” She asked. Adora had already dug herself a hole, and whatever she said would only make it deeper.

“Uh…” She wondered how to respond. Saying ‘no’ might upset Lonnie. Or maybe she wouldn’t care? She only had a few seconds to decide, and eventually, she decided to answer with the truth. “Well… Yeah. Of course.”

“Can I see?” Lonnie asked. Now it was getting worse.

But really, if Lonnie was so eager, it would be mean to disappoint her. Adora grabbed Catra’s phone from her pocket, going to their text conversations. Adora had sent her all the pictures she drew, excluding the portrait of Catra. She pulled up Lonnie’s portrait, and after some fiddling around to make sure it looked like her own, she showed Lonnie.

Lonnie looked at for some time, occasionally looking up to stay focused on biking, but a smile slowly curled on her face. “You say you’re really bad? Catra, that looks amazing!” Lonnie complimented. Adora had to hide how red her face was. Creating a whole new hobby in Catra’s life was definitely not on the agenda today.

“Well, you know… I try,” Adora laughed awkwardly.

“Was that me during the Solaris festival? That was pretty recent, wasn’t it?” Lonnie asked. “You still got a crush on me or something?”

“I… No! I don’t!” Adora answered, before realizing that the tone she responded in might’ve sounded rude. “I mean… you’re great! I do like you! But not in that way! Just… Uh…”

“I’m fucking with you, Catra. I would’ve thought you could catch onto my teasing by now,” Lonnie grinned. Adora had never felt more desperate to leave Catra’s body. She was rightfully screwing everything up. “Ah… This is where we depart.”

“Huh?” Adora spoke up, before looking to see the trail up ahead turn into a steep, uphill climb. Lonnie pulled the handbrakes, slowing the bike down.

“We’re walking from here. Should only take an hour. We’re already halfway there,” Lonnie explained as she flicked down the stand on the bike, putting it off the path. The two of them got off, making sure they had everything before they ventured uphill.

The walk, despite being mostly uphill, was something Adora really needed. She appreciated the exercise, even if it was for Catra’s body. The views were beautiful and something that she couldn’t come across in the city. And she needed some time to clear her head from… everything.

It was about an hour to ascend to the top. The whole time, Adora would occasionally glance over to Lonnie, trying to read her face and understand what she’s thinking. Why she wanted to meet up. Especially climbing a mountain like this. She had to have some sort of plan.

Adora could never bring herself to ask, though. And eventually, after a few more steep hills, the two of them were able to reach the top of the mountain.

“You doing okay?” Lonnie asked, reaching the top before Adora and holding out a hand for her.

“Best I’ve ever felt,” Adora said with a chuckle as she took Lonnie’s hand, reaching those last few steps.

And atop the mountain, she was met with one of the most beautiful views she had seen in her entire life.

Adora’s eyes widened as she looked around. She felt as if she could reach up and touch the sky. Solaris was there, but holding up a hand blocked it from sight. It seemed so small from up here. And all around were mountains, hills, grass, flowers.

The gentle breeze was a nice refresher to counteract the sweat on her body. She could see the Solaris Lake still, and in the very, very far-off distance, she could see the city. Just the outlines of towers, just barely. And the roads stretched out for miles as well.

“I never tire of this view,” Lonnie smiled as she walked up to be next to Adora. “Remember when we used to come up here and look at the stars?”

“Yeah…” Adora had to answer, hoping Lonnie wasn’t trying to pull some mind trick on her. Lonnie sat down on the soft patches of grass, and Adora did the same.

“I remember our first kiss up here, too. That whole night just… stuck with me,” Lonnie said in a dreamy voice. Adora looked to Lonnie to see her lost in memories. “All seems so long ago. Now I don’t even have time to think of anything. Hell, I’m missing study by doing this. But… I don’t care.”

“Sometimes you just have to stop and smell the roses, I suppose. See beautiful places and… spend time with the ones you love,” Adora pointed out.

“The ones you love, huh?” Lonnie asked with a smile. A slight jolt went through Adora’s body as she heard that. “Listen… Catra. There’s… There’s something I need to tell you.”

Adora’s eyes widened. She felt like her heart could stop at this very moment. She didn’t actually think Lonnie would do something like this, and she simply dreaded whatever would come next. “Lonnie…” She said, trying to stop her before she could go any further.

“It’s… It’s about us,” Lonnie said, “I’ve been thinking… about our relationship. With everything that’s been going on lately… What we had was really, really nice. Those days we spent loving each other… I won’t ever regret them.”

Adora waited for her to finish. She didn’t want to interrupt, especially since it seemed like Lonnie was building up a lot of courage to say this.

“But… I know it ended poorly. And I know the things I said hurt you… And that, I regret. So… I’m just wondering if, y’know…” Lonnie shrugged. “If you feel… okay about me? I know we’ve been getting along lately, but there’s just this… annoying pest in the back of my mind that keeps telling me I don’t deserve this. This kindness. So I’m wondering… if what we have right now… Is this really what I think it is? Are we… you know…?”

Adora looked at her for a few seconds, and she desperately wished she could call Catra to understand how to even respond to something like that. But as it stood, Adora had no choice but to go the way Catra wanted. Or at least, the way she thinks Catra wanted. “Lonnie… You’re really incredible. And I’m really glad we’re talking again. But… if this is you asking if we should get back together again… I don’t know…”

“Wait,” Lonnie interrupted her. “You… You think I’m asking for another relationship?”

“Are you… not?” Adora asked. Lonnie snorted in response.

“Do I look like the kind of girl that’d get on my knees and beg you for a second chance?” Lonnie asked with a smirk. “Catra, I really, really like you. But going back to a relationship… Look, it’s nothing personal, but I don’t ever see it happening again. I don’t want to ruin what we have.”

“Huh…” Adora slowly spoke. She wondered how she could misinterpret Lonnie’s words so drastically initially, but she was glad Lonnie didn’t seem too upset. “You know… I was feeling the same way. Us being friends… I like it. I think a relationship would just be too risky.”

“Oh, thank fuck for that. I didn’t want to break your heart. I was just worried that you hated me or something, so that’s why I brought you up here,” Lonnie said with a smile. “So… we’re cool, right? Leaving all that bullshit in the past and just being friends… That’s all good?”

“Yeah. It is. And I’m happy to have you in my life,” Adora replied.

And with that, Lonnie smiled. A genuine, heartfelt, warm smile on her face was everything Adora needed to see. And she knew Catra would’ve liked to have seen it too. The sun shining behind her as she felt truly, truly happy, and put on the widest smile Adora had ever seen.

“Feel like staying up here until the sun sets?” Lonnie asked. Adora looked to her friend. Catra’s friend. And returned the smiled.

“That sounds good to me.”

* * *

That night, Adora dreamt of the view from the mountain once more.

She had gotten to take in that view, and even took a few pictures to send to herself as a reference for drawing later. The sight was one she would likely never forget. It was a place away from the rest of the world. A place among the stars.

As Adora woke up the next day, back in her own body, she did so to the sound of her phone vibrating. Someone was calling her, and it was likely to be Catra. As Adora’s eyes slowly flickered open, she saw that she had somehow managed to sleep in to ten in the morning.

She reached out a hand, trying to grab her phone but missing a few times. She had no idea why she felt so exhausted. Catra must’ve done something. But soon, she grabbed the phone and brought it up to her ear, her body still wrapped comfortably in a blanket.

“Mmmph… Hello…?” Adora spoke in a slurred voice.

“Nice of you to finally wake up,” Catra said in a teasing tone. “My legs are killing me, by the way. I blame that on you.”

“My everything is killing me… What did you do last night…?” Adora asked, wiping the sleep from her eyes. Catra couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Look, Glimmer invited me to movie night. How could I say no? I just… may have stayed up until five in the morning,” Catra said and Adora could only groan in response. “Look, be thankful I managed to get you home before I passed out!”

“You put me through this and now I have to suffer the consequences… Thanks,” Adora said.

“You’re welcome,” Catra returned. “Now… I don’t want to alarm you. But… I need you to check your wrist for me.”

Immediately, Adora’s eyes widened. That’s right. The markings. She needed to know what happened. She quickly sat up and held out her wrist.

And on it was two stripes.

“… Has it gone down to two?” Catra asked as Adora stared at the markings with wide eyes.

“No… No, this can’t be right. You said I had three yesterday,” Adora said, shaking her head.

“And you said the same to me. But now I have two as well,” Catra said. Adora’s eyes were wide with horror. “Adora… I… I hate to say it but… I think my theory was right.”

“Dammit…” Adora grit her teeth. She knew it was coming. She knew there was no other explanation. But she just hated that Catra was right. She hated this time limit. The clock was ticking down constantly.

“Hey…” Catra spoke in a gentle tone. “We still have two more swaps. Let’s make the most of them, alright? Besides, from what I hear, you and Lonnie had a very nice chat yesterday.”

Adora sighed. Catra was right. There was nothing she could do except the best she could in these last two swaps. It hurt to admit, but there was no other way about it. She had to push through the pain, even if some of it still clung on. “Yeah… I’m sorry. It should’ve been a chat for you.”

“Hey… Don’t feel bad. I’m… actually kind of glad you were in my place,” Catra admitted.

“You are?” Adora asked.

“Yeah. I don’t know… I like to think I’d never hold onto a grudge, but I can never tell. I feel like I would’ve just screwed everything up anyway if I was in my body during that talk,” Catra said.

“Don’t say that,” Adora shook her head. “You need to have more confidence in yourself. You were the one that talked to Lonnie the most, not me. All of this healing… It’s all you. It’s because of how amazing you are. I just happened to be there during the last talk.”

“Adora…” She could hear Catra smile as she spoke her name. “Well… Either way, I _did_ manage to return the favor. Now that Lonnie and I have been able to accept each other, I think you and a certain someone need to have a talk. So I’ve arranged a meeting between you two.”

“You what?” Adora asked, before feeling her phone vibrate in her hand. She took it away from her ear to look at the text she received. And suddenly, her heart skipped a beat as she heard Catra’s laughs. She let out a gasp, trying to find the right words to say. And after a bit of stuttering, Adora cried out.

“YOU SET ME UP ON A DATE WITH GLIMMER?!”

* * *

Even the outside of the museum looked beautiful, at least in Glimmer’s eyes.

She smiled as she looked at the art museum that Adora always talked about going to. The museum was unique in that none of the pieces of art within were for sale, or had a price. They were simply there to be observed and admired. A ‘natural’ way of viewing art.

Adora always wanted to draw something that would make it within the walls of this museum. And Glimmer always wanted to support her. Today, she wore her nicest shirt and denim jeans, dressing to impress for her and Adora’s date.

It was a sudden ask that came last night at three in the morning. Adora asked her out of nowhere and Glimmer could only really accept. She’d be a fool to pass up on an opportunity like that. But as she stood outside the museum, she wondered how this would all end.

“Glimmer!” She heard her name being called from the crowd, and turned to see Adora approaching her, wearing her nicest clothes of a button-up long-sleeved shirt and also denim skinny jeans. It was a look Glimmer loved on her.

“Hi there!” Glimmer waved as Adora approached her. She wrapped Adora in a hug, and was happy to find Adora returning it in almost an instant. Maybe she did return these feelings…

“Sorry I’m late. Slept in majorly,” Adora chuckled as Glimmer separated from her. Adora felt Glimmer’s hand take her own, and she didn’t mind it too much. Though, if she had to reject two people in two days, she might need an emotional break from life.

“Oh, I did the same. Last night had me beat,” Glimmer chuckled. “Do you still have the tickets?”

“Tickets? Uh…” Catra had forgotten to mention that part. She pulled her phone from her pocket to see that one of her latest emails were the plane tickets on hand. And it seemed like the pay for them came not from her own pocket, but from Catra’s. Catra had paid for their date.

“Adora?” Glimmer asked as she noticed Adora’s long stare at her phone and slight smile on her face.

“Y… Yeah! I got them right here,” Adora said, making note to thank Catra later. She had always wanted to come to this museum. “Sorry if this place isn’t exactly the most interesting for you…”

“Oh, trust me, anywhere I go with you is just fine. Besides, I can admire art sometimes. I love your drawings,” Glimmer smiled, her hand in Adora’s as they walked towards the front entrance. People flooded in and out of the entrance, and Glimmer made sure to stick close to Adora.

The warm air of the outside was defeated by the cool air from the air conditioners indoors. The reception was out front, and from there, people went through a heavy door and into the gallery. The museum was four storeys, each with a different type of art. Music, sculptures, photography, and of course, painting/drawing. The last of which Adora was most excited for.

And none of them came at a price. They were not for sale. Money wasn’t involved in this art, it was simply made to be admired and to be remembered, not to be sold. The artist, of course, received funding from the museum for placing their art within. But none of it compared to the act of leaving memories with people.

It’s not like Adora had any issues with artists making money. But sometimes, art can be more than that. Adora had never earned a penny for her drawings, and she never really wanted to.

As Adora showed her tickets to the reception, Glimmer looked around at the front hall. The people all talking amongst themselves, and the wide room with a soft carpet and a window on the ceiling to show the beautiful, blue sky.

Her eyes gazed back to Adora. The way she talked so calmly to the receptionist. The way she smiled once they were allowed in. Glimmer loved that about her. Being near Adora was like a warmth in and of itself.

“Ready to head in?” Adora asked. Glimmer held Adora’s hand once more, intertwining her fingers with Adora’s as she nodded.

“I’m ready to see you completely nerd out,” Glimmer chuckled. Adora couldn’t even deny that.

And so, they stepped through the heavy door, and into the gallery.

The first floor involved music, something that Adora wished she had Catra here for. It was a floor she didn’t wish to spend much time on, but she managed to appreciate some of the songs she heard from all different sources.

A few instruments were strewn about. Old guitars, some drums, and of course, a grand piano.

When Adora’s eyes came to rest on the piano, she felt herself freeze for a bit. She gazed at the piano, her heart racing slightly. She hadn’t told anyone apart from Catra about her upcoming departure to New York. Glimmer would have to know soon.

Eventually, she felt Glimmer squeeze her hand. Adora was brought back to the real world, and she looked down to see Glimmer’s worried eyes. “You okay?” She asked, noticing the piano as well.

“I…” Adora stuttered. “… I think we should move to the next floor. Sorry.”

“Hey. It’s okay. I understand completely,” Glimmer smiled. She knew the effect music had on Adora. Especially piano. And Glimmer’s smile was enough to bring comfort to Adora.

The two of them moved to the stairs, going up to the floor with sculptures. Everything from clay to marble sculptures was there. Most of the sculptures consisted of people, but there were miniature versions of the city in there as well.

Adora could never do 3D art, but she had an admiration for it. Whether digital or physical, the effort to make something in so many dimensions to be admired from all around was something she really respected.

It was the same with the floor that contained photography. Adora only really took photos for referencing in her drawing, but cinematography, photography and anything involving cameras was something she admired. In movies, each shot could represent a piece of art in and of itself, especially when it came to animation.

Glimmer even recognized some of her favorite movies as she looked around. Some cinematic shots for the ages, such as long one-takes. Or even just still frames from movies with vibrant colors or stunning lighting.

All of the art caught Adora’s eye. But of course, there was one floor she was excited most for. One floor she always, always wanted to see.

When she ascended the final set of steps of the museum, Adora was met with the drawing floor.

Surrounding her was animation, 2D art, drawings, paintings. Everything from a cute drawings of animals to even some body horror arts. But in the corner was her expertise: landscapes. Drawings of the city, the stars, the clouds, the hills, the mountains.

As Adora looked around with wide eyes, she didn’t even realize she had taken her hand away from Glimmer’s.

But Glimmer noticed.

Even with how cute Adora’s look of admiration was, she couldn’t help but feel a little sting when Adora took her hand away. She stood back as Adora went on ahead, looking at all the paintings up close. Glimmer smiled, but there was a hint of sadness behind it all.

“Is there… anything you like in particular?” Glimmer asked, trying to get Adora’s attention at all. But Adora’s eyes seemed distracted by one specific drawing. A black-and-white sketch of a town called Solaris. One that Glimmer had never heard of before.

Adora didn’t hear her. She was too taken in by the Solaris drawing. The beauty of it all. It looked so similar to the view from yesterday. Adora couldn’t stop thinking about Catra as she looked at the drawing.Catra would’ve loved to have seen this. Catra would’ve loved to have been here.

But eventually, Adora felt a tap on her shoulder.

She looked behind herself to see her date, Glimmer, smiling up at her. “There’s a balcony on this floor. Do you… want to see the city from there?” She asked.

Adora almost felt ashamed of herself for realizing that all these drawings and thoughts of Catra had caused her to completely neglect Glimmer. She nodded with a smile. “Sure. I’d like that,” Adora replied, internally kicking herself.

The two of them made their way out through a glass door towards the balcony. There was nobody else out there, just the two of them before the whole city. High up above the roads. Towers surrounding them. Beauty surrounding them.

“This place everything you hoped for?” Glimmer asked.

“It’s… it’s so beautiful…” Adora said, still thinking about the drawing of Solaris. “I… I’m sorry. I know I’m just nerding out on you.”

“I already told you, I’m fine,” Glimmer smiled, waving a dismissive hand. “Being with you is good enough for me, Adora. You really make me smile. I hope… I just hope that, no matter what, we can still see each other like this even after graduation. Whatever happens in the future… I just want to be side-by-side with you.”

Adora knew Glimmer meant that in the best way possible. But as she spoke, Adora’s smile slowly faded. Glimmer couldn’t help but wonder if she said something wrong. “I’m sorry…” Adora sighed, putting her hands on the handles of the balcony.

“What for? You haven’t done anything wrong,” Glimmer said.

“There’s something you need to know…” Adora said softly. “… A couple of days ago, I played in front of someone. Shadow Weaver made me. And… he liked my performance so much that he offered me a spot on some live talent show. And…” Adora couldn’t even look Glimmer in the eye. “Shadow Weaver accepted. That meant… moving up to New York. Maybe… permanently.”

She couldn’t look to her right. Adora could never bring herself to look into Glimmer’s eyes. She knew they’d be full of pain. Adora felt so, so much guilt in her stomach. Her heart felt like dead weight. “… When do you leave?” Glimmer asked.

“Next week,” Adora replied. She could hear the sadness in Glimmer’s voice. “I’m sorry, Glimmer…”

Slowly, Adora felt Glimmer place her hand over hers. She looked up to see her date, trying to put on a brave face for her. “You’ve got nothing to apologise for. It’s not your fault. And… No matter what, I’ll always be here for you.”

“I wish things were different. I don’t want to leave,” Adora said. Glimmer nodded, still trying to smile even as she sniffled and held back tears.

“It hurts for me too, Adora. I don’t you to leave either. I wish I had some profound words to make this all better, but…” Glimmer kept smiling, even as tears began to stream down her cheeks. “This just fucking sucks, huh?”

“It does…” Adora replied, nodding as tears formed in her eyes as well. “I guess that’s why I asked you on this date… one last day together before everything changes. Before the future… takes this from us.”

“The future won’t take shit,” Glimmer shook her head. “Maybe there’ll be some distance. Maybe our lives will go separate ways. But I will always, always be here for you. I will always be a call away. I will always hold you dear to me. Because…”

Glimmer sighed. She looked at the floor as Adora turned to face her. “There’s… There’s something I need to tell you,” Glimmer said. “And maybe it’s been obvious, but… I don’t care anymore,” Glimmer shook her head. She looked up to Adora with tear-stained eyes and a pained smile. She took a breath, calmed her emotional heart and mind, and spoke.

“I love you. I love you, Adora.”

It was the exact words Adora both wanted to hear, and dreaded all at the same time. “Glimmer…” Adora sighed sadly, seeing the genuine love in Glimmer’s eyes and tone. “I…”

“It’s okay,” Glimmer said. “I know you don’t feel the same.”

“I’m so sorry…” Adora replied.

“Adora…” Glimmer reached out a hand and rested it on Adora’s cheek. “I promise. It’s okay. I’m not upset. I’ve… had a while to accept this anyway. I was just… always afraid of ruining what we had if I told you. But now that you’re leaving…”

“Glimmer… I know it’s not in the way you’d like, but… I love you too,” Adora smiled, resting her hand over Glimmer’s. “You’re the greatest friend I’ve ever had. And you always will be. Thank you for being in my life… You matter so much to me.”

And with that, Adora leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Glimmer’s forehead.

Glimmer had been smiling. She had been happy throughout this whole date. And she still held no negative feelings against Adora. She never would. But her heart was full of pain. Full of hurt. Being bombarded with Adora leaving and now, this rejection. Even if she saw it coming, it still hurt.

And slowly, Glimmer’s smile wobbled. And as desperately as she tried, she couldn’t hold it together forever.

And so, the first few sobs came from Glimmer.

Immediately, Adora wrapped her arms around her friend, and stroked her hand through Glimmer’s hair. She felt Glimmer’s body shake in her arms. “It’s okay… You can cry… It’s okay…” Adora whispered, even with her own tears forming in her eyes. Adora always looked after her friends before herself.

Glimmer clung to Adora’s shirt as she sobbed, and eventually, completely broke down in Adora’s arms. She needed this. She needed this sadness. This agony. She needed to let it all out in order to eventually heal. And she did so in the arms of her best friend. She didn’t feel terrible about crying. In fact, she was relieved that she was able to cry.

But it still hurt like hell.

As Adora held Glimmer close, she wondered what a world with her and Glimmer together would be like. Certainly, Adora wouldn’t mind it. But it’d never feel quite right. A relationship would feel forced, and almost uncomfortable. Adora always saw Glimmer as a dear friend.

Besides. Adora knew another reason why she and Glimmer couldn’t be together. She looked to the distance. To the drawing of Solaris. And she knew the reason. She realized it in that exact moment why she and Glimmer could never be.

Adora’s heart was already taken by someone else.


	7. Midnight Train Going Anywhere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With only a few swaps left, and only a few days before Adora's departure to New York, Catra takes the train to the city to try and meet with Adora for the first, and last, time.

After the amount of times they had swapped, it always took Catra less than a second to figure out which body she had woken up in. And today, it was Adora’s.

She blinked slowly upon awakening, her arms spread out before her as she laid in the bed. The large markings on her wrist were still there, and despite her tired eyes, Catra took the quick opportunity to check how many stripes were there.

Two. It was still two.

“It didn’t go down…?” Catra whispered to herself. Her theory had two outcomes in her mind: That the markings would go down every time they swapped, or it would only go down when they switched back to their original bodies.

Considering it hadn’t gone down yet, it seemed like the latter was the most likely theory. But even in Catra’s mind, these were just theories. And she still had no clue _what_ exactly would happen when the markings went down to zero.

The safest bet was that the swaps would stop. But what if it was something else? Something more?

She had been thinking on it for days, and she had reached a hundred conclusions. But nothing would be confirmed until the markings went down to zero. She could only wait and see.

All she could do was go off her initial theory, which meant they only had a few swaps left. One more after this, and then, no more. Things will return to normal. Or however normal things can be.

Although she knew Adora was upset about not being able to swap anymore, and Catra herself was partly saddened by it, she was at least glad that these strange experiences would be over. Missing entire parts of her life had taken a toll on her sometimes, especially when it came to Lonnie.

Catra wanted to live her life in the fullest. And although she loved Adora, she would really prefer if she kept to her own body. Catra never was much of a fan of people invading her personal space unless she felt comfortable with it, and having someone literally take control of her body was about as uncomfortable as things could get.

Granted, she didn’t hate it. But that was purely because it was Adora. If anyone else was in her body, she’d feel like she’d have worms in her stomach constantly. Adora was the only exception.

The plan for today was simple: getting a route from Solaris to the city, and finding a place for her and Adora to meet up, all of which would be executed the next day when they were back in their bodies.

She stood up, grabbing some comfortable clothes for warm weather and putting them on. She had almost become a natural at this by now, knowing which clothes would suit Adora. And as she looked into the mirror, she also took the opportunity to do something Adora taught her to do.

She bunched up her hair, and tied it into a neat ponytail.

It looked almost flawless. Catra was a quick learner after all. And she looked completely natural now.

She grabbed her phone, wallet and a few other things. Even after all these swaps, Catra was still getting used to finding her way around the city. She relied on her phone a lot to find tram times, paths and nearby places to go to.

As she left Adora’s bedroom behind and put the train station into her maps, she suddenly heard a cursed voice.

“And where do you think you’re going today? You do realize the flight leaves in three days, correct?” Shadow Weaver spoke up, sitting at the kitchen table on her laptop.

Three days? Catra had no idea it was that soon. Adora never mentioned that to her. Did she know at all?

Given the rate of their swaps, that meant they _had_ to meet up tomorrow. After that, they’d likely swap again the next day, and then Adora would leave the day after. Tomorrow was the only day they could see each other before it was all too late.

“… I’m meeting up with Glimmer and Bow,” Catra replied.

“And how many times have you done that this week?” Shadow Weaver asked.

Catra should’ve bit her tongue. She should’ve ignored her and moved on. But she couldn’t. Not after everything Shadow Weaver did to Adora. “What, is there something wrong with seeing my friends before you take me away from them forever?” Catra asked with a hint of venom in her voice.

Immediately, she regretted every single word she spoke.

Shadow Weaver stopped typing. She slowly looked up to Catra, her eyes narrowing. “Say that… again?” She spoke slowly.

“… Nothing,” Catra replied, quickly walking towards the front door before she made things any worse for Adora.

But she was stopped when a harsh hand grabbed onto her wrist and dug in tightly.

“The next time you wish to speak like an inconsiderate brat to me, know that I won’t let you off lightly. Do you understand?” Shadow Weaver asked, almost hissing as she spoke. Catra grit her teeth, feeling a large tingling from Shadow Weaver’s fingers digging into her wrists.

No. She wasn’t having this.

“Let go of me!” Catra snapped her wrist away. Shadow Weaver stumbled forward as Catra broke free, falling from her chair and hitting the hard kitchen floor with a thud.

Catra’s eyes widened as she looked at Shadow Weaver crumbled on the floor. Adora had likely never done anything like that before. Pure horror shot through Catra’s systems as she realized what she had done. What she had done to Adora specifically.

“… Get out,” Shadow Weaver hissed. Catra slowly reached down, trying to help her up, trying to somewhat heal the situation and not leave Adora in disaster. But instead, Shadow Weaver violently slapped Catra’s helping hand away. “GET OUT!” She screamed.

Catra had to back away. And with no other choice, she quickly ran out the door, closing it behind herself as she felt the warm air of the city. But she did not have time to take in the sights like she usually did.

Catra had landed Adora in the worst possible position.

“Fuck…” She put her hands on the back of her head, her eyes wide. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK!” She repeated, panting. Angering Shadow Weaver would have zero consequences for herself, but Adora would instead have to suffer through what Catra did.

She quickly pulled her phone from her pocket, walking down the stairs and leaving the apartment building behind as she called her own number, trying to reach Adora in her own body. She felt like her heart was being crushed and her stomach was being stomped on, and she almost didn’t want to tell Adora at all.

“Catra? Everything okay?” Adora answered quickly, speaking from Catra’s body. Catra didn’t even have time to think about the weirdness of all this.

“I fucked up. Adora, I fucked up majorly. I didn’t mean to, but I just can’t control myself and I fucked everything up,” Catra said quickly.

“Whoa, whoa, hey, slow down. What happened?” Adora said, trying to help Catra through this.

“I was trying to leave a few minutes ago for the train station so I can plan a route for us to meet up at tomorrow, but Shadow Weaver just stopped me and asked where I was going. She… She said your flight leaves in three days,” Catra explained.

“… What? Three days? She told me it was a couple of weeks…” Adora exclaimed.

“She must’ve lied to you. I don’t know, but we need to meet up tomorrow, or we’ll never get the chance. But…” Catra sighed, putting her fingers against her forehead. “Adora, I’m… I’m so sorry. She just kept pushing my buttons, and I spoke back to her. That pissed her off, and she grabbed my wrist…”

“She does that to me all the time… Catra, I’m sorry. You don’t deserve to go through that,” Adora spoke with empathy. Her kindness just made Catra’s heart hurt even more.

“It all just became too much and…” Catra shut her eyes. “I yanked my wrist away. And I… I accidentally threw her to the floor.”

Silence followed. Painful, dreadful silence. Catra’s heart felt heavy and her stomach felt like it was about to explode. She gripped the phone tight, checking to see if Adora had hung up on her. “… How did she react?” Adora asked, her voice nothing but a hoarse whisper.

“She told me to get out… It happened a couple of minutes ago…” Catra explained. She took in a shaky breath. “Adora, I’m so, so, so fucking sorry. This is all my fault. I’m such a fucking idiot. I didn’t mean to…”

“Catra,” Adora cut her off. “I’m not mad at you. I promise.”

“But…”

“No buts. I’m not mad at you. I’m not upset with you. I know you’d never let anyone walk over you, and I admire that,” Adora said. Catra was shocked at the tone of her voice.

“How can you be so calm about this…?” Catra asked.

“Well… What’s the worse she can do? She’s already taken away control of my life and stripped me away from my friends. I doubt she can make things any worse for me,” Adora said with a chuckle. But Catra’s eyes were wide with horror at how she can say something like that so casually.

“You don’t deserve this… You don’t deserve what she does to you. I wish I could save you…” Catra said. It almost felt like Adora didn’t understand the severity of this.

“… Hey. You’re planning to meet up with me tomorrow, right?” Adora asked.

“Yeah…” Catra replied.

“Let’s focus on that instead. Okay?” Adora said, and Catra could hear the smile in her voice.

And then, Catra understood.

Adora did understand the severity. She did understand everything. But instead of focusing on dread or anxiousness, she wanted to focus on the time she would spend with Catra the next day. She wanted to look forward to something, instead of dreading it.

And Catra wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

But if it was Adora’s wish, Catra couldn’t say no. “Well… I’m close to the train station. I’m pretty sure it’s a three-hour ride. I’m just going to check what time it will arrive. At most, we’ll have an hour together before I have to leave.”

“What should we do?” Adora asked.

“You know the city better than I do, you decide,” Catra replied. She could hear Adora ponder for a few moments.

“Well… There’s a really nice café a few minutes walk away from the train station. I don’t know, I guess it’s the best we can do with an hour?” Adora offered. It wasn’t exactly the most exciting thing in the world, but Catra was more anticipating just meeting up with Adora.

“That sounds good to me,” Catra smiled. “So… How was your date with Glimmer yesterday? Did you finally realize your feelings for her and kiss?”

“Uh-huh, and then I proposed to her on the spot. The wedding is next week,” Adora replied, and Catra couldn’t help but chuckle. “It was nice, but… You know, I still see her as a friend. So we’re just friends. She confessed to me after I told her I was leaving for New York, and… God, I felt awful about breaking her heart. But she told me she was fine afterwards. Just needed to cry first.”

“Oh, so you two aren’t a thing, despite my best efforts?” Catra asked, still trying to tease Adora.

But really, she was slightly relieved. She only set up the date since she wanted Adora to be happy with someone. Especially given how little time Adora had left with them. On the other hand, she also did it for Glimmer. The idea of having pent-up feelings and never being able to express them was too cruel, and Catra had taken a liking to Glimmer. She at least deserved to tell Adora her feelings.

Catra would’ve taken the opportunity to date Adora, but really, the idea of Adora ever loving Catra back was ridiculous in her mind.

“Your little matchmaking game is off-point, I’m sorry to say,” Adora replied with a smirk. “Uh… Hey, I think I should probably tell you something. I went on a stroll with your moms this morning.”

“Did they say something?” Catra asked.

“Oh no, they’re fine. But… Well, I saw Mike. And… Well, he didn’t approach me or anything, but he just… glared at me. Like some creep. It really, really made me uncomfortable. I avoided him, and I’m going to keep doing that. But I thought I’d let you know,” Adora explained.

“Right…” Catra pinched the bridge of her nose. “Yeah, I thought he’d act up. He asked me out a few days ago. I think he has a crush on me. I told him no, he kept pushing, so I had to tell him off for being a jackass. I guess I must’ve hurt his ego.”

“That explains it. He looked… pissed,” Adora said with a nervous chuckle.

“Just keep avoiding him, alright? I don’t want him hurting you or anything,” Catra said with a cautious tone.

“I’ll be alright. Don’t have much planned today anyway,” Adora replied.

Catra looked up from the phone to see the train station in the short distance, just across the street. It had people flooding in and out of the entrance. “Hey, I have to go now. Going to try and not get trampled to death in the station.”

“I would very much appreciate not having to die. My body is precious,” Adora said dryly as Catra smiled. “Take care, alright? And try not to worry too much about Shadow Weaver. Spend the day at Glimmer’s if you need to.”

“… Okay,” Catra responded, a tinge of guilt tugging at her heart. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Adora.”

Tomorrow. Tomorrow when they would finally be able to be with each other, only briefly.

That thought kept Catra going as she approached the station, and went to plan out her route to be with Adora.

* * *

Adora blinked as she looked up at the ceiling upon awakening. And she quickly realized that today was the day.

After a relatively uneventful day in Catra’s body, minus some board games with her family, she was back in her own body the next day. And in a few hours, she’d be with Catra for the first, and last, time. It was bittersweet, but Adora wanted to focus more on the sweetness.

She held out her wrist to see only one stripe left. It had gone down. And based off Catra’s theory, that meant they had one more swap left. Once Adora returned back to her body again, it would be no more.

Adora had almost come to accept this, but the idea still upset her. That closeness with Catra was something she loved so, so much. And being in Catra’s body also meant being in a family that actually cared for her.

She could hear Shadow Weaver in the kitchen. After what happened yesterday, Adora thought it best not to leave the bedroom until she needed to. She didn’t feel any anger towards Catra for what she did, though she wished Catra could’ve bitten her tongue.

But at the same time, she was glad Catra stood up to her. She was glad that Shadow Weaver got a taste of her own medicine.

Adora reached for her phone to see a text from Catra.

‘Train will be leaving at 1PM and should arrive at 4PM. I can only stay for an hour, since my parents expect me home before late. All good?’

Adora smiled as she read the text. Four in the afternoon. Considering she had no plans today, it should be easy to make. And she texted back.

‘All good. I promise I’ll be there.’

She sent off the text and checked the time. It was only nine in the morning. Seven hours before she could see Catra, and the seconds ticked away slowly. Almost painfully slow. Adora sighed, standing up and going over to her computer.

She figured a bit of drawing might take her mind off things. And she had the perfect reference in mind. Opening her texts, she went for the picture atop Mt. Riverholm, and saw the beautiful landscape. It would take a long, long while to get this many details down.

But for a view this beautiful, it was worth it.

As Adora began her sketch, she also began to think of what she should do with Catra. What would be the first words she’d say? Would they hug? Would Catra know what to say as well? How would their time at the café go?

Or perhaps, would Adora say ‘I love you’?

* * *

When the train emerged from the tunnel, Catra was met with the first sights of the city.

Her eyes widened as she looked around to see the beginnings of towers, the crossing of paths and the ground turning from dirt to concrete. Three hours of the countryside had slowly evolved into this. This grand gathering of humanity.

She sat by the window on the train, her headphones on and her backpack by her side. Her heart was almost racing from how damn excited she was.

She ran a hand through her shorter hair. Before she left, she had asked Leah to cut it just slightly for her, only down to the top of her shoulders. It was still longer than Adora’s, but not tremendously so. And it was much easier to handle.

And she had also managed to put her own hair into a ponytail.

It wasn’t quite as neat as Adora’s, but she preferred it that way. She felt happier with her hair like this. And she could only hope that Adora would like it too.

As she became lost in her thoughts, the music playing through her headphones suddenly came to a silence. She glanced down, before noticing that her phone had just died. “Shit…” Catra sighed to herself, neglecting to take care of her battery life.

Perhaps listening to music for three hours wasn’t quite the best idea. But really, she was just listening to Adora’s singing over and over again. She could never get enough of it.

Slowly, as the train sped further and further into the city, the buildings grew more and more frequent. Other train-tracks could be seen opposite the one she was on, and more people gathered on the sidewalks. Cars were driving almost alongside the train.

This was her dream for years, to see the city with her own eyes. And after the popularity of her latest song, Catra had been getting much more commissions. Combining the income from that, and the money Adora could offer, meant that affording these tickets was actually possible now. Even if it was only for an hour’s visit.

It was afternoon by the time the train slowly began to arrive at the station. It was a bizarre experience for Catra, coming to a station she was at yesterday in another body. Some of these sights were familiar from times she had swapped with Adora.

Her wrist only had one stripe on it. One more swap, likely to happen tomorrow. Adora had two more days left before she had to leave. But they would cross that bridge when they came to it. Today was about the visit. The first encounter.

The automated voice announced the current station as the train slowly grinded to a halt. Catra stood up, slipping her dead phone into her bag and slinging the bag over her shoulders. She pushed along with the crowd of people, moving forward, slowly creeping along…

And then, fresh air. A blast of warmth hitting her face as she emerged onto the station, getting out of other people’s way. Trains flew by left and right, announcements were being made, almost overlapping. It was the most amount of people Catra had ever seen at once in her own body.

And she couldn’t get the smile off her face.

The city was still beautiful. Still so full of life. And coming in her own body, hearing the sounds with her own ears, feeling the air with her own skin… It was everything she had ever wanted.

But now, came the wait.

Her and Adora promised to meet up at four in the afternoon once the train arrived. And it seemed Catra had arrived first. She found a nearby bench on the platform, and sat. The waiting game began, though it shouldn’t take long.

Plus. She got to take in this beautiful air and city as she waited. Adora would arrive soon. Catra’s leg kept hopping as she sat at the bench and watched the entrance.

Soon.

* * *

Adora let her hair down as she looked into the mirror.

She wore a denim jacket, a nice white shirt, and some denims jeans as well. The nicest clothes she could pick out for her time with Catra. And letting her hair down was something that Catra seemed to like.

The train would’ve arrived by now, and the station was not far away to walk. Adora smiled, thinking about how Catra must be doing right now. Would she be happy? Excited to be in the city? Perhaps she’d ditch the rules and just stay the night with Adora?

Adora grabbed her phone and slowly went towards the bedroom door. Shadow Weaver hadn’t spoken to her at all today, and she wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or not. Either way, she didn’t want to take any chances.

She inched open the door, looking around for her mother. She wasn’t in the kitchen, where she usually was. And it seemed like the coast was clear. Adora quickly stepped out of her room, taking a few more steps towards the front door and putting her hand on the doorknob.

“Off to visit your friends again?”

Adora winced as she heard Shadow Weaver’s voice behind her, seemingly coming out of nowhere. She slowly turned to see Shadow Weaver emerging from her bedroom, wearing much nicer clothes than necessary. “I…” Adora tried to respond.

“You’ll have to tell them another time. You’ve got plans tonight,” Shadow Weaver said, grabbing her things from the kitchen bench. “Mr. Jefferson is expecting you at the practicing hall now. He wants to shoot some footage for the show.”

“What…?” Adora shook her head. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“Because this is what you must endure, Adora. Not everything will be neatly laid out for you. Sometimes plans pop up out of nowhere and you have no choice but to accept. It’s something you’ve yet to learn,” Shadow Weaver said. “We’re leaving. Now.”

“We can’t,” Adora said. “We… We can’t. We’ll do it tomorrow, but I have plans! I can’t just ditch my friend for some stupid show!”

“Oh, get over yourself. It should only take half an hour anyway, if you behave,” Shadow Weaver said, pushing past Adora and walking out the door. “Now come on. He’s expecting us.”

Half an hour. Half an hour stolen. But not the entire hour. Adora still had time, as long as it all went to plan. But to get to the station from the practicing hall would also be a twenty-five minute walk…

Adora shook her head. It’ll be fine. She had to keep telling herself that. She quickly pulled her phone from her pocket, sending Catra a quick text to let her know she’ll be late. Catra would understand, no doubt.

It’ll be fine. It’ll be fine.

* * *

Catra looked at her dead phone with a sigh.

Fifteen minutes had gone by, and yet no sign of Adora. She said she was free today, so where was she?

Catra was tempted to go to Adora’s apartment, but after screwing things up for her yesterday, walking in and introducing herself to Shadow Weaver probably wasn’t the greatest plan ever. Besides, she had promised Adora they’d meet at this exact spot.

Did she forget? Catra didn’t think so, but there may have been a chance. She had no clue.

People were still all around her at the station. Trains flew by and the announcements slowly became numb in her mind. With how many people were around, and without a phone, Catra felt unsafe in such an environment.

“Excuse me?” Catra suddenly heard a curious voice behind herself. She almost jumped, before spinning her head to see a short woman, her rose eyes staring at Catra. She had long, lilac-colored hair and her arms were behind her back as she leaned towards Catra. “I can’t help but notice you’ve been sitting here for a while. Are you watching the trains, too?”

Catra looked her up and down. She seemed kind enough. “Uh… No. I’m just… waiting on someone,” Catra explained, looking away from the woman and back at the entrance.

“Oh, I see…” The woman spoke, taking a seat next to Catra out of nowhere. “I thought you were like me. My name’s Entrapta. I like your hair.”

“… Thanks,” Catra replied, looking over to Entrapta. “I like yours, too.”

“Who are you waiting for?” Entrapta asked, her curious eyes studying Catra’s facial expression. She felt like she was being analyzed, but despite everything, she didn’t feel terribly uncomfortable. Entrapta seemed nice.

“A…” Catra wanted to say ‘partner’. But that wasn’t true. It would never be true. “… A friend. We were meant to meet up fifteen minutes ago.”

“Oh, that happens to me sometimes, too. I try to make new friends but when we go to meet up, they never show. I don’t know why that happens. Maybe I’m too much for them,” Entrapta replied, getting much more personal than Catra thought she would.

“Well… You seem nice,” Catra replied.

“You do, too. This friend of yours… Are they worth the wait?” Entrapta asked. Catra glanced at the entrance once more. No Adora.

“… Yeah. She’s worth… She’s worth anything,” Catra replied.

“I hope she’ll show up soon. But waiting in a place like this shouldn’t be too bad!” Entrapta smiled. “I love coming here and seeing all the trains around.”

“Is it a hobby or something?” Catra asked.

“A hobby? It’s a _lifestyle_ ,” Entrapta beamed, her smile growing wider. “I think trains are wonderful! They’re always evolving and changing with current technology and it’s so beautiful to see! A lot of people take trains for granted, but I think they’re special!”

“Huh… Well, how about that?” Catra smiled. “I don’t know much about trains, but I wouldn’t have been able to get here without one.”

“I know it’s a bit weird, to be so fascinated by something like trains… But it makes me happy. I’ve loved them ever since I was a kid. And I’m always trying to go in for a job that involves them. Not many places hire me, though…” Entrapta said, her voice faltering at the last sentence.

“Well… I think they’re missing out if they don’t have you on board,” Catra said. This Entrapta was really helping in making this wait not so painful.

“I think so too,” Entrapta replied. “Did you know that bullet trains nowadays can reach up to speeds of three-hundred miles-per-hour?”

“I heard they were fast, but… Damn. I didn’t know that,” Catra said with a smile, looking out to the train front of her. “Did you know that, when listening to music, your heartbeat matches the rhythm of that music?”

“Fascinating…” Entrapta whispered. “Do you like music?”

“It’s my lifestyle, I guess. I’ve always loved making it,” Catra shrugged. “Kinda like how you are with trains. Though, some people think my obsession with music is hindering me from my ‘true’ lifestyle, whatever that is.”

“People always judge others for being weirdly obsessed with things like writing, or minerals, or trains, or music, or books… But without these passions, I think life would be much more dull. Hobbies and passions are beautiful,” Entrapta said, smiling at Catra as a train flew by, the flickering lights flashing behind Entrapta as she smiled at Catra. “At least, to me.”

Catra looked at Entrapta for a few more seconds with wide eyes, before glancing back at the entrance. “Hey… Do you have a phone with you that I can borrow?” Catra asked. “Mines dead and I want to call my friend. See what she’s doing.”

“Of course!” Entrapta said, reaching into her pocket and giving Catra her phone without a second of hesitation. Catra remembered Adora’s number off by heart. The same number that was written on her body way back when.

She punched Adora’s number in and held the phone up to her ear. Her heart racing and her gut filled with nerves.

“Come on, Adora… Pick up…”

* * *

The vibrating phone in Adora’s bag was heard by no one as she played her heart out in front of multiple cameras.

She had to keep her hands steady and get it all down perfectly, as hard as that was. A single slip-up meant redoing everything all over again. It would mean missing the chance to see Catra. Forever.

She finished up her long performance, her eyes wide and her breath shaking. People assumed she was nervous to be on camera, but she couldn’t give less of a shit about the camera. She needed to be at the station.

Her phone finished vibrating as the song finished up. And as Adora sat before the piano, the footage began to be reviewed by a team of people. Shadow Weaver among them as well. None of them even bothering to congratulate Adora. Not like she needed it.

Her hands were shaking immensely. Blood rushing through them, adrenaline pumping in her veins. She swallowed down her anxiety, but it came right back up. There was nothing to prevent this nervousness. Nothing except Catra

Adora looked to the people surrounding her. No issues so far. Everything needed to be perfect. So perfect for this stupid show. Adora even had to put on a perfect smile, and she could only _just_ muster the strength to do that.

Catra should’ve gotten the text, so she shouldn’t be too mad. But it was disappointing. Upsetting. Miserable. Adora hated everything about this. She wanted to be at the station. She wanted to be at the café.

She wanted to be in Catra’s arms.

Soon, Mr. Jefferson looked up with a smile. “Excellent work, Adora. That should be all we need.”

Adora didn’t wait a single second.

She jumped out of her chair and sprinted for the door, grabbing her bag on the way out. She could hear Shadow Weaver call out her name, demanding her to stay, but she didn’t care. She’d deal with her anger later.

The station was twenty minutes if she ran. Maybe fifteen. There was still time. There was still time.

Maybe Adora could head to Solaris with Catra. Avoid Shadow Weaver for a few days. Or a few months. It was an idea she loved. Surely Catra’s moms wouldn’t mind a guest staying for a year or two? The idea of being with Catra was all that kept Adora going as she sprinted.

Sprinted towards the station. Towards Catra.

* * *

“The train for Solaris departs in five minutes.”

Catra’s eyes were filled with sadness as the automated voice made that dreadful announcement. She could only look at the floor beneath her, her throat tight. “… I’m sorry your friend didn’t show up,” Entrapta said, putting a hand on Catra’s shoulder.

“Thanks for keeping me company…” Catra replied, her voice weak. She grabbed her bag, standing up as her lips began to wobble. Her chest felt cold. She wanted to stay, she wanted to stay so badly. But this was the last train for the day. And her moms would be scared out of their minds if she didn’t show up at home that night.

Besides. Maybe Adora just completely forgot about her and would never show up.

It didn’t matter. Catra knew she’d never see Adora. She knew she should’ve accepted that. It would’ve been too good for her. Nothing was fair in life anyway.

She looked to the entrance one last time. Nothing. She had to hold back her tears as she walked away from Entrapta, the city, and Adora. She’d have to hold back this emotion for the next three hours it would take to get back home.

And so, she stepped back on the train.

* * *

“Catra!” Adora cried out, quickly hopping up the steps towards the platform.

Her legs felt like they were going to crumble. She had been running for twenty minutes, and her lungs felt icy raw. Pushing past person after person, she ran the last few feet of her trip.

She didn’t want to look at the time. She refused to. She knew she’d make it. Catra will be waiting for her. She knew it.

She sprinted upwards, hearing the sounds of people, trains and announcements. Up the stairs. Up to the platform. Up into Catra’s arms. She kept imagining being in Catra’s arms. It was so close.

Adora ascended the last step, looking up towards the platform, and called out Catra’s name once more. Called out for the person she wanted to see most. Called out for the one she loves most. “CATRA!” She yelled, not even caring who hears.

She opened her eyes. The world went silent.

With that cry, Adora had made it just in time.

… To see the train for Solaris begin to depart.

Adora’s heart stopped.

The train slowly picked up speed as it began to move away from the platform. The doors were closed. There was no last second chance of hopping on the train. No chance of making it on board. No Catra to hug. Nothing. Despite her best efforts…

Adora was too late.

Her eyes were wide, her pants came out and they burnt her throat. But as she looked to the train, and into one of the carriages, she saw her.

Adora saw Catra. Looking down at the floor, eyes welling with tears. Her arms crossed and her body slumped. Adora saw Catra. For the very first time, she saw Catra as she sped away and out of Adora’s life.

But Catra never saw her.


	8. The Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Catra returns home to Solaris, she finds a horrifying discovery. Meanwhile, Adora deals with the anger of Shadow Weaver. All of which leads to their last swap, where Adora decides to do something crazy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CONTENT WARNING: HOMOPHOBIC VIOLENCE IN SCENE 1, AND IMPLIED HOMOPHOBIA IN SCENE 4

“Now arriving at Solaris. Please make sure you have all personal belongings with you before you leave the train.”

Catra could barely process any of the words in her mind. Her stomach felt cold and her entire body felt like it weighed nothing. Nobody else was on the train, and all that waited for her outside was the night sky and the illuminated small town.

She grabbed her bag, stepping into the cold air and breathing in the familiar smell of Solaris. Nothing like the city. Even the feeling wasn’t the same. It was lonely. Quiet.

How did Adora forget? Did she forget? Did something come up? Did Adora hate her now? Catra’s mind was full of confusion, uncertainty and, most of all, sadness. Sadness that she’d never get to see Adora.

Was she supposed to hate Adora for this? For the past couple of hours, Catra felt like she should’ve been upset with her. It’s only natural. But every time she looked at the stripe on her wrist, she didn’t feel anger at Adora. She just felt lost.

As she began to walk back home, she looked out to the small town. The lights coming from some of the houses. Maybe some of the families were having dinner right now. Perhaps some partners were meeting up. Catra was almost envious.

The wind felt cold against her skin. She shivered, though perhaps some of the coldness in her body wasn’t just from the weather. Her heart felt heavy. Her throat felt tight. And she felt sick.

Silence surrounded Catra. The distant sounds of the lake and the crackle of dirt and pebbles beneath her feet as she walked were all that accompanied her trip home. No music. Her phone had been dead for hours.

What if Adora had tried to call her? That was a thought that definitely crossed Catra’s mind. But then again, what if she didn’t? Had Catra done something wrong?

She ran a hand over her face and let out a sigh. Her anxiety always got the best of her in moments like these. In truth, there really was no obvious answer, not without talking to Adora first. If that was even possible.

As she sighed, she suddenly heard another noise join her. A set of footsteps behind her, rapidly approaching. Crunching of dirt and pebbles.

Catra turned around to see whoever was approaching her, and for a split second, she was able to spot Mike, his eyes full of rage as he stormed in her direction.

But the next thing she saw was Mike reeling back a fist, and smashing it into her nose.

Catra let out a grunt as she felt herself being punched in the face, and she instantly collapsed to the ground, throwing her arms down to stop her fall. She instantly felt blood beginning to leak from her nose and onto her upper lip, and her vision became completely blurry.

She felt a weight suddenly smash into her stomach as Mike kicked at her while she was down, and she collapsed, feeling the wind drain from her lungs. He was screaming something, but she couldn’t quite hear him. She could barely even breathe.

Her mind was running wild as she tasted her own blood between deep gasps for air. She could feel Mike standing over her, maybe attempting to deliver another kick while she was down. But in her blurry sense of everything, Catra soon made out another series of footsteps.

“Get the fuck off her!” She heard Lonnie scream, shoving her weight into him and pushing him away from Catra. Her senses slowly began to clear up as she listened in.

He was screaming slurs. Slurs Catra had heard over and over again. Slurs she never, ever wanted to hear in person.

“You never fucking told me you two freaks were dating!” He added, and Catra’s heart went cold.

He found out. Somehow, Mike had found out about her and Lonnie

“Back off! Don’t lay another fucking finger on her!” Lonnie called back, putting herself between Mike and Catra. Catra was still on the ground, slowly recovering but with blood leaking down from her nose, covering her lips and chin.

“Of course you’d be defending your girlfriend. You both make me sick,” Mike growled, storming towards Catra again. But Lonnie kept true to her promise, shoving him back yet again, enraging him even further.

Catra wasn’t going to let him hurt Lonnie. She wasn’t going to let him lay another finger on her. Just like how Lonnie was protecting her, she needed to protect Lonnie. Slowly, she began to stand back up, despite her body screaming at her to stay down. She wiped the blood from her nose with the back of her hand.

Mike stormed in again, this time to go for Lonnie. She braced herself for whatever fight may come, she braced herself to do anything to protect Catra…

But before Lonnie could do anything, she suddenly saw Catra run past her and tackle Mike to the ground.

“FUCK YOU!” Catra screamed as she wrapped her arms around Mike’s waist and delivered the full impact of her body into his stomach, knocking him into the ground and going down with him, his back hitting the ground hard and draining the wind from him. He gripped Catra’s hair, trying to pull at it and get her off.

But Catra wasn’t having it. She pressed her hand against his face, digging her nails in. He let out cries of pain, but she didn’t care. She quickly reeled back a hand, and returned a punch straight to his cheek.

Lonnie stood back and watched as Catra returned the pain to Mike. She could’ve pulled Catra off. She could’ve separated them. But in her mind, she knew she didn’t want to. She simply stared on with wide eyes.

“Get the fuck off me!” Mike grunted, putting a hand against Catra’s chin and pushing her face away.

Catra quickly placed both hands on Mike’s shoulders, and without much thought, she swung her head against his, bashing forehead against forehead. Both of them instantly recoiled at the hit, and the sound of skull hitting skull was almost sickening to listen to.

Catra wasn’t done. She wasn’t done returning the bullshit Mike had thrown at her for years. And just when she went to go throw another hit…

“Wildcat! Hey!” She suddenly heard Scorpia’s voice sound as she wrapped her arms around Catra, pulling her off Mike. “You got him! You’re done!”

“Let go! Let me go!” Catra squirmed around in Scorpia’s arms, desperate to break free. She watched as Mike slowly stood up, blood leaking from his forehead and a noticeable scratch mark across his bruised cheek.

“I fucking saw you two… At the top of the mountain…” Mike panted.

“You followed us?!” Lonnie asked.

“Too right I fucking did! I saw and heard everything! Now it all makes fucking sense…” Mike’s spoke with venom.

“Mike… Don’t you fucking dare…” Catra growled, her nose still leaking blood.

“You tried to keep something like that a secret… Now the whole fucking town is going to know that the two of you are gay freaks. I’m going to tell everyone…” Mike said, almost taking pleasure in Catra’s horrified expression as she slowly began to stop struggling in Scorpia’s arms.

“What is wrong with you? What the actual, genuine fuck is wrong with you?” Lonnie asked, shaking her head. “Why do you even care what we do? How does this affect you in any way?”

“It’s not right! It’s just not fucking right! First those two freaks moms of yours…” Mike’s eyes looked up to Scorpia. “Hey… Scorpia… Your sister ever tell you that she and Lonnie here dated? That she’s some psychopath?”

Scorpia looked to Mike for some time, before exchanging a quick glance with Lonnie and Catra. But slowly, a smile curled onto her face as she looked back to him. “Guess it runs in the family. Because they’re not freaks. They’re beautiful. They’re my best friends. And… I’m like them as well. I’m proud of who I am. What are you going to do about it?”

Mike looked between the three women before him, and he could only shake his head, rubbing the blood away from his eyes. “You’re in for a world of hell tomorrow. All three of you.”

And with that, Mike turned and walked away, his left leg having a slight limp behind it.

“Fuck…” Catra let out a gasp of pain, doubling over. Her stomach felt like it was on fire, and as the adrenaline began to go away, it was soon replaced by pain. Her nose felt completely numb, and she could only smell and taste blood.

“Lonnie, help me out. Our home is only a few steps away. I could hear all the yelling from there,” Scorpia said, wrapping an arm underneath Catra’s left shoulder and helping her up to her feet.

“I could see it. He just… walked up and punched her like a coward. He had no right. Maybe you shouldn’t have dragged Catra off him. You know he deserved to have the shit beaten out of him,” Lonnie said, her arm around Catra’s other shoulder as they made their way back home.

“If Mike ended up in a worser state than Catra, how would that make her look?” Scorpia asked.

“Can you two stop talking… My ears are ringing…” Catra mumbled, trying to stay awake and push through the pain. Lonnie and Scorpia exchanged one last glance, understanding the situation and agreeing to just simply help Catra through it.

Eventually, they reached the front of Catra and Scorpia’s home. Scorpia was quick to open the door as Lonnie helped Catra in. Catra could walk fine on her own, but her body was in complete agony and every step felt like it was crushing her stomach.

“Catra…” Leah went to go greet her daughter, but when she saw her, her smile dropped. “Oh my god, Catra! What happened?!”

“Is everything alright?” Cerata asked from upstairs, but when she came down and saw the blood on Catra’s face, she had a similar reaction. “Catra!” She cried out, her and her wife both attending to their daughter. Cerata looked to Lonnie and Scorpia. “Who did this?”

“I…” Lonnie wanted to answer, but the binds of their secret were still there. She wasn’t sure how to respond. But when she looked to Catra, she saw the injured girl looking straight back at her.

And slowly, Catra gave a nod. And her permission.

“… It was Mike. He… He found out that Catra and I used to date. That Catra…” Lonnie sighed. “That she’s a lesbian. And… He did this to her. I managed to stop him before he did too much damage, but… Catra fought back. Scorpia had to get between them.”

“I never liked that boy,” Leah shook her head, turning to Cerata. “How many times have I told you I never liked that boy?”

Cerata was busy inspecting Catra’s face, specifically her nose. “… I don’t think anything is broken. But there might be a risk of a concussion. Catra, we need to lay you down in bed. Is that alright?”

Catra slowly nodded, and Cerata was quick to pick her up gently. Catra could’ve walked fine to her bedroom, but Cerata’s motherly instincts would never allow for something like that.

“Are you two… still dating? This is the first I’ve ever heard of this,” Leah said to Lonnie.

“We broke up a while ago, but we’re on good terms. We… We wanted to keep it a secret. You know how the town is about these things…” Lonnie said as Cerata carried Catra upstairs. She wanted to be by Catra’s side desperately, but there was likely no chance of that happening any time soon.

“That’s completely understandable. Cerata and I… We like it here, but we know how the town feels about us. The looks we get…” Leah sighed, taking a seat at the kitchen table. “How could anyone do this to our daughter…?”

“He’s a horrible monster. And I won’t ever let him get near Catra again,” Lonnie declared, taking a seat with Leah. But soon enough, Leah’s hand was placed over Lonnie’s.

“You need to take care of yourself, too. You’re such a wonderful person, Lonnie. No matter what Mike says or does… Or what anyone says…” Leah said, trying to comfort Lonnie even during this desperate time.

“I don’t think it’s going to get easier any time soon, unfortunately. Mike…” Scorpia sighed, crossing her arms. “He’s going to out us to the whole town. Catra, Lonnie and… Well, me included, probably.”

“Oh my god…” Leah gasped softly, putting her hand over her mouth as she looked between Scorpia and Lonnie, the latter of which had her head down, almost out of shame.

“… This is my fault,” Lonnie said. “I should’ve stopped hanging out with Catra so much. I should’ve never been the one to kiss her first. I should’ve just… pushed down those feelings. She’s hurt because of me…”

“You are not in the wrong here just because of who you love,” Leah shook her head. “The only ones in the wrong are those with such close-minded beliefs that they go into rage when someone simply loves another person. I do not blame you for what happened to Catra. Not even a little bit.”

Before Lonnie could respond, they soon heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Cerata slowly descended down, a sad look in her eyes. “How is she?” Scorpia asked.

“She’s resting. I don’t think she can go to school tomorrow. I don’t think… any of you can. I could hear your conversation from upstairs,” Cerata said, looking at Lonnie and Scorpia. “I don’t want to risk any of you getting hurt.”

“I don’t think I was going to go, anyway,” Scorpia replied with a sad chuckle, scratching the back of her neck.

“What about you, Lonnie? Do you… feel safe at home, if your parents found out about this?” Leah asked. Lonnie looked at her hands before her.

“My parents haven’t ever said anything bad about you two, so I don’t think they’d be mad… But…” Lonnie looked up. “Is it okay if I just… stay here for a little while?”

“You’re always welcome here,” Leah said with a warm smile. “Cerata will get you a mattress, just like when you used to visit. I’m sure Catra will love to have you around.”

“I can’t thank you enough,” Lonnie let out a small sigh of relief.

“You always have us, Lonnie. No matter what happens… We all need to stick together. Have each other’s backs. We’ll keep you safe. All three of you,” Cerata said as she went to the closet to grab a blow-up mattress.

A community. Above all else, no matter what, everyone in that house had each other. Come what may.

And Catra heard every word of the conversation as she laid in her bed upstairs.

* * *

Adora dreaded coming home, but eventually, she had no other choice.

Her eyes were stinging red from the tears she had shed. Catra was so, so close. A few seconds could’ve made all the difference. And now she was gone. Gone forever.

Adora hated herself. More than anything, she kept thinking of every little mistake that slowed her down. This was her one chance, and she destroyed it.

But Adora wasn’t entirely to blame in her mind. There was someone else she held anger against.

She opened the door to her apartment to find the lights on. There was no avoiding this.

“So you’re finally home,” Shadow Weaver droned, sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for Adora. Adora’s tearful eyes of anger stared right at her. “How was your run? Enjoy yourself?”

“I’m going to bed,” Adora said with a dry voice, trying to move to her bedroom to avoid all this. But Shadow Weaver wasn’t having it.

“Do you understand how close you were to ruining everything?” She asked. “When you ran out, I had to desperately make up a story that you were late for another practice session. It wasn’t a good image to have you sprint off like that. It made me look bad.”

“… Sorry,” Adora mumbled, again trying to move on.

“Sorry won’t fix anything when you destroy everything I’ve worked for! You are making all of this incredibly difficult! First you have this outburst, and now this?! After everything I’ve done for you?!” Shadow Weaver cried, slamming a fist on the table. “You have been handed your future on a silver platter by my generosity and you choose to spit in my face!”

“… I don’t care.”

“Excuse me?”

“I said, I don’t FUCKING CARE!” Adora screamed at Shadow Weaver, stepping towards her. “I don’t give a fuck about piano! I’ve always hated it because of you! Your ‘generosity’ has done nothing but hurt me! What good is fame or popularity if I’m just fucking miserable?!”

“You will shut your mouth, right now!” Shadow Weaver stood up, standing tall over Adora.

But Adora didn’t care anymore.

“Oh, just make me!” Adora cried. “You are a horrible, spineless snake! You’re not my mother! You’re…”

Adora was cut off as Shadow Weaver suddenly raised her hand.

Adora flinched, closing her eyes.

Shadow Weaver stopped herself just in time, but she had every intention of striking Adora across the cheek. Her eyes were full of spite, and when Adora slowly looked up, she saw the eyes of desperation. The eyes of someone who had everything to lose.

“What… is _wrong_ with you?” Adora asked, her voice shaking slightly as Shadow Weaver took a few steps back.

“… Go to your room. We leave in two days and you’ll be packing tomorrow,” Shadow Weaver said like nothing had happened.

“You’re not even going to apologise?” Adora asked, shaking her head as tears welled in her eyes.

“Why should I? You’re destined for perfection. Stop wasting your opportunities with these childish tantrums,” Shadow Weaver said as she took a seat.

Adora looked at her for a few more seconds, her heart beating rapidly and her chest going cold. She looked at the monster before her, and took a few steps away. No apology. No remorse. Nothing. A cold, dead heart.

And so, Adora went into her room, closing the door. She slid her back down the door as she shut it behind herself, and brought her knees up to her chest. Her lips wobbled slightly, and her throat grew even tighter. She thought she was done, but the universe had it out for her.

And so, Adora tilted her head and cried.

* * *

The endless tears continued to stream down Catra’s cheeks.

She had to keep sucking in air to prevent herself from choking out of panic. Everything dawned on her all at once and she couldn’t take it. Combined with the pain in her sides and on her nose, it was all too much.

Everyone was going to know. This town was small and Mike was loud. No doubt by this time tomorrow, he would’ve outed her to everyone. And all she could do was wait and see how they would react.

None of this would’ve happened if she was with Adora right now. If she was in the city. She would’ve been safe there. But life was never, ever fair.

As she laid back down on her bed, she looked over to her charging phone and checked the time. Three in the morning. She didn’t dare open social media. She didn’t want to see anything or anyone else. Nothing was safe anymore.

Except for one person.

She held the phone up to her ear as she began to call Adora.

She needed to just hear her voice. She needed to imagine herself in her arms. Holding her close and stroking her hair.

“… Catra?” Adora spoke as she answered. Immediately, Catra could tell Adora had been crying. Just from the weak sound of her voice. “I’m… I’m so sorry…”

Adora’s apology broke down into sobs, and instantly, all ounce of anger or upset Catra held against Adora washed away. “What happened…?” Catra asked, wanting to know the answer to the burning question.

“Shadow Weaver… She… She dragged me away… Made me late… I ran so hard for you, but… I was a second too late… I saw you… But…” Adora’s sentence shook a little bit, but she eventually broke into more quiet sobs. “I’m so, so fucking sorry…”

“Adora…” Catra whispered, holding the phone close as she heard this. Of course it wasn’t her fault. Of course Adora never forgot. It was beyond her control. Catra knew that was the obvious solution and her mind was clouding her judgement.

“You… You sound like you’ve been crying,” Adora pointed out. Even with all this grief, Adora worried about Catra most of all. She wanted to know if Catra was okay.

“Mike… He…” Catra sighed. “He found out. About me and Lonnie. He followed you two when you went up the mountain and must’ve heard everything. When I got home, he… He beat me. Not too bad, thanks to Lonnie, but… I think he’s going to out me to the whole town.”

“Oh my god…” Adora said, her breath leaving her as Catra explained everything. “Catra, I…”

“I really wish I was there with you, Adora… I really wish I could hug you… I don’t feel safe here anymore. I…” Catra sniffled. “I don’t want to lose you…”

“… I’d sing for you,” Adora said quietly. “If I was there right now… I’d sing for you.”

“… I’d like that,” Catra smiled, even with tears on her cheeks. “Can you… do it for me now?”

“It’ll sound awful,” Adora laughed quietly.

“I love the sound of your voice. Trust me,” Catra replied, holding her sheets close and laying her phone in front of her. She was met with silence for a few moments.

“… I wanna lay in your arms, when the world is burning…” Adora softly sang to the phone, her voice delicate and soft, almost tingling to listen to. “I wanna dig in your heart… Take away your hurting…”

Adora’s voice was everything Catra needed and more. Even with the fear, the anxiety, the panic, they had each other. But only through the ends of a phone call. She’d never hear this voice in person. Never.

She silently cried as she listened to the love of her life sing for her.

* * *

When Catra’s eyes opened, she was in Adora’s body for the very last time.

She awoke naturally, with no alarm. No school today. It was eleven in the morning, and she only had one thing to do today: Pack for tomorrow.

It was almost cruel of the universe to have Catra pack Adora’s things for her to leave the next day. Catra wanted to give the universe a middle finger or two for making her do this. But there wasn’t much on today apart from the packing.

She crawled out of bed, her body no longer aching thanks to the swap. But she knew Adora would be experiencing her pain instead. She wanted to be there for her.

Adora was still wearing her clothes from last night, and Catra didn’t feel the motivation to change. She instead grabbed her suitcase from the closet, preparing to pack for Adora. The sooner this was over with, the better.

Going through Adora’s closet over the next couple of hours, finding little pieces of her history, and putting them away, all of it served to deliver blow after blow to Catra’s heart. The pictures of Adora as a child, the ones with her friends, the ones of her graduating elementary school, her school uniform, her suits, her dresses, everything that Catra would never see in person.

It was a few cardboard boxes worth of things. But one thing Catra couldn’t bring herself to touch was Adora’s drawing equipment. Her pens, pencils, computer, paper. She had no idea what to do with it. What Adora would want to do with it.

As she looked to Adora’s drawing equipment, Catra suddenly heard a knock on the bedroom door. “Adora?” Glimmer’s voice sounded on the other hand.

Immediately, Catra’s heart dropped. This was likely going to be the last time Adora ever sees Glimmer, and she wasn’t even in her own body to experience it. “… Come in,” Catra responded, trying to push through the feeling of misery.

Glimmer gently opened the door, peeking into the dark room and seeing all the cardboard boxes strewn about. “I… I have a break between classes, so… I wanted to see you. Before… you know,” Glimmer explained.

“Right… Thanks,” Catra smiled, though her sadness was obvious.

“Do you… need any help packing?” Glimmer asked, looking around the dark room. She flicked on the light, at least wanting to brighten up Adora’s day a bit.

“I think I just wanna talk for a bit,” Catra said, sitting on the bed and letting out a sigh.

“Okay,” Glimmer nodded, taking a seat next to Catra. They sat in silence for some time. Not a word between them. Glimmer was unsure of the words to say, and Catra didn’t want to break down sobbing at the first word.

“… I’m really going to miss you,” Glimmer said quietly after a while, not making eye contact with Catra.

“I’m going to miss you too,” Catra replied. “I just feel… so fucking miserable right now. About everything. I… I just want to run away from it all.”

“Where would you run to?” Glimmer asked, looking up at her.

“… Alaska?” Catra shrugged. “Isn’t that the place people get away to when they want to be alone?”

“I heard it’s pretty cold up there,” Glimmer said. “But… if you’re leaving, I can drive you. I got my license yesterday.”

“You did? Glimmer, that’s awesome,” Catra smiled at her. Glimmer chuckled.

“A bit too late though, huh? Remember when we’d make plans to go on road trips around the world?” Glimmer said with a smile. “It’s funny… New York was always our final destination. Now the name just makes me feel sick.”

“Well… Let’s go to California instead. It’s warm. There’re beaches. Freedom,” Catra said.

“That sounds nice,” Glimmer replied. “I could get a swimsuit and be your model for drawing.”

“You can do that right now if you want,” Catra suggested with a smirk.

“But I need the beach to bring out my beauty!” Glimmer said, and Catra couldn’t help but laugh. Glimmer smiled as she heard the laugh of the woman she loved. But slowly, that smile faded. It would be the last time she ever heard that laugh.

“In an ideal world, I’d be telling you to grab your car keys by now,” Catra smiled.

“… In an ideal world, I’d tell you to give up on piano,” Glimmer said. “I’d tell you that it isn’t worth it. I’d tell you to focus on what makes you happy instead. That what makes you popular isn’t necessarily what makes you happy. That underneath all the cruelty, this life is so beautiful once you cling to what makes you happy. That the little things are what make it all worth living.”

Catra looked to Glimmer for some time as she spoke. And a smile crawled on her face for a few seconds, before she looked to the ground. “In an ideal world,” Catra sighed.

“Yeah. In an ideal world.”

Silence followed. Glimmer checked her phone to see the time, and let out a sad sigh. “I have to go now,” Glimmer said sadly. She exchanged a look with Catra. “Adora… I just want you to know that you mean so, so much to me. I’ll never forget you. You’ve made me so happy and I’ll always be thankful.”

Catra, more than ever, wanted to switch. Adora deserved to be here. She deserved to hear Glimmer’s last words. But the cruelty of the world was too much. So, she did something that maybe Adora wouldn’t be able to do.

She reached out and stroked her hand through Glimmer’s soft hair, before Catra pushed her lips against Glimmer’s forehead. Sharing one last kiss. One last physical touch. “I’ll miss you…” Catra whispered, both for Adora and from her own heart. The attachment she felt to Glimmer was unique, but Catra had really grown to love her.

Glimmer felt tears welling in her eyes as she stood up, heading for the bedroom door. She looked over her shoulder to Adora, and before she could break down, she smiled. “Goodbye… Adora.”

And with that, Glimmer walked away from Adora, and Catra’s, life.

Catra let out a sigh, burying her face into her hands. Goodbye’s were always, always rough. They hurt Catra deep in her heart. And this wasn’t even the worse goodbye she was going to have that day.

Her phone began to ring, and she looked to see that she was getting a call from herself. From Adora. What was likely going to be the last call they ever have. Slowly, she reached out and grabbed her phone, answering.

“Hey, Adora,” Catra said, her voice tired and slow.

“Your body is… not that great to be in at the moment. Everything hurts,” Adora said with a dramatic groan. Catra let out a dry chuckle.

“Sorry about that…”

“If I could move freely, I’d go visit Mike and punch him in the face for doing this to you,” Adora said. Catra smiled as she heard this. It was nice to know someone cared.

“So… How’s the town reacting to the big news about me, Lonnie and Scorpia?” Catra asked, wanting to get this over with. She’d have to deal with it over the next few days, weeks, months. The misery of it all had grown numb at this point.

“Well… There’s a few messages you’ve been getting that… Well, you can expect,” Adora said sadly.

“I can already imagine what they say,” Catra sighed.

“But… It’s not as bad as I thought it was going to be,” Adora admitted.

“… Huh?”

“Don’t get me wrong, this is horrible. The fact that Mike would say stuff like this about you and actually get support for it. It makes me sick. But…” Adora was silent for a few seconds. “A lot of people are on your side, Catra.”

“Y… You’re joking.”

“I’m not. I’ve been getting some messages asking if you’re okay. Mostly from your classmates. And some people have really been going off at Mike. They’re all around our age, too…” Adora observed. Catra was genuinely surprised. The worms that had been eating away at her for the last few hours had resulted in this?

“Has… anyone come to visit in person? Or like… tried to vandalize my home or something?” Catra asked, expecting the worst.

“It’s just messages so far. Horrible, horrible messages that I almost want to delete so you never have to see them, but… I think you’re getting more support than hate. Granted, I don’t know how the older people of the town feel yet, but…”

Catra laid back on her bed, letting out a small sigh of relief. It wasn’t perfect, but it was better than what she expected. She was mostly worried for Lonnie and Scorpia, and Adora in her body. But it was nowhere near as bad as she expected things to turn out.

And Catra knew she was lucky. _Incredibly_ lucky. But she still felt extremely uncomfortable with being out on terms she didn’t agree with. It ate away at her and she wanted to take everything back. But if this was the future she was stuck with, then it wasn’t as disastrous as she expected.

But this future she was in would be one without Adora.

Catra curled up slowly into a ball on the bed. “So… Last swap, huh?” Catra said.

“Most likely,” Adora nodded. “I remember when I first woke up in your body and had no clue where your school was. I couldn’t find it for, like, half an hour.”

“Pfft. Try an entire day,” Catra replied. “And spending half of the money in your bank account.”

“Which you still owe me for,” Adora replied.

“I paid for you and Glimmer’s date!” Catra said.

“… Touché,” Adora said, and Catra chuckled. Silence followed for some time. They could only hear each other’s breaths. And slowly, Catra’s lips began to wobble.

“I’m gonna miss being you.”

“Hey…” Adora spoke softly. “It’s going to be okay. We’ll make it through this.”

“How do you know…?” Catra asked.

“I don’t. But… I have to say it over and over again so I can believe it. Because the only other option is to just cry for hours,” Adora admitted. “How is my packing going?”

“I… I don’t know what to do with your drawing stuff. It feels like I’m ripping away pieces of you,” Catra said. Adora sighed sadly.

“I’m sorry…” Adora spoke. “Just… Put it in a box. I want it with me as well, wherever I end up.”

“Okay…” Catra nodded.

“Look… I’m gonna go now. Your moms want me downstairs. And I want to see them one last time,” Adora said. “… I know you didn’t do this on purpose, but… Thank you for letting me in your body. Because… This is the first time I’ve ever really felt like I had a family who cares about me.”

“You deserve the world…” Catra spoke quietly.

“So do you,” Adora replied. “… Goodbye, Catra. I’ll call you tomorrow when I’m in New York. And I’ll always have you in my thoughts. Because one day… I really am going to see you.”

“You promise…?” Catra asked, a sad smile on her face.

“I promise.”

Catra, among all this sadness, was able to laugh. Even with tears oncoming, she had to laugh. “You’re such an idiot…” Catra smiled.

“Yeah,” Adora said, and Catra could hear her smile. “I know.”

Those were the last words Adora said in Catra’s body, before she hung up.

Catra dropped the phone to her lap, and her heart dropped along with it. Nothing but silence filled the room. She looked at her wrist, seeing the single stripe on it. Nothing awaited her, except a town that was talking all about her.

This was it. No more swaps. No more Adora. And Catra didn’t know when or if she would ever see Adora.

She looked over to Adora’s drawing material, and slowly, she stood up. Looking at the drawings of Solaris. Of Lonnie. Of Scorpia. Of her moms. The beautiful way Adora expressed herself in these drawings.

She looked down to see a black marker, sitting alone on a table. It was almost calling her name.

She picked it up. If this was to be the last swap, Catra wanted to leave one last message. One last thing. Something she had always wanted to say to Adora, and would now likely never get the chance. But she was going to try anyway.

Catra held out Adora’s left hand, her non-dominant hand, and wrote her a final message.

* * *

“The flight for New York is now boarding. Please bring your tickets to the front desk…”

Adora looked at her wrist and saw nothing. Just skin. The markings had gone. The stripes disappeared. After she woke up in her body at three in the morning, she checked and saw that there was nothing. That was really the last swap.

It was four in the morning as the plane began to board. Adora sat with Shadow Weaver in the airport, looking out to the still-dark sky. She had her carry-on luggage, and her phone in the other hand, listening to Catra’s music through her headphones.

Catra was probably still asleep by now. Adora was able to have one last conversation with her family and Lonnie. Now she was back in her own body permanently, back with Shadow Weaver, and minutes away from leaving everything behind. She was exhausted.

“We’re boarding,” Shadow Weaver said, putting her book away and standing up to join the line of people giving their tickets to the flight attendant before stepping onto the tunnel that led to the large plane.

Adora joined the line, looking at the floor beneath herself. She wanted to call Catra. Or Glimmer. Or Bow. Hell, even Lonnie. Just anyone who could comfort her, since the misery in her stomach continued to bubble.

She moved further towards the front of the line. Away from her home. She took off her headphones to hear the quiet airport. Everyone around her was frowning. Tired. But they all wore the best clothes they could find.

Shadow Weaver handed her ticket to the flight attendant, and she was scanned in. Adora went up to do the same. But just before she could…

She heard a loud cheer from nearby.

Adora’s head snapped to see one woman running into the arms of another, holding her close. She had disembarked from a recent arrival, and it seemed like she was reuniting with her partner. They both held each other close.

Adora stared, wide eyed, at the couple. She knew nothing about them, not even their names. But what she could recognize was the relief of finally being with someone you wanted to see for so long. Being with someone you loved.

“Ma’am?” The flight attendant asked, her hand ready to receive Adora’s ticket.

But Adora didn’t spare her a glance.

“Adora, hurry along. You’re holding everyone up,” Shadow Weaver said. But Adora continued to stare at the reunited couple.

Before her was two choices. Adora could hand the ticket over, move to New York, find a life with financial security, and enough money and popularity to live comfortably for her and her mother. On paper, it was a good idea. An obvious choice.

But there was another choice before her. The choice of love. Of happiness. Of joy over money. Of finding the beauty in life, rather than disposing of it if it didn’t generate enough profit.

Adora didn’t want to leave Catra. She didn’t want to leave this life behind. Even if it would make Shadow Weaver happy, even if it would make Mr. Jefferson happy… Adora knew that she, herself, wouldn’t be happy.

Perhaps it would be selfless to choose the former choice.

But Adora, for once in her life, wanted to choose for herself. She wanted to choose for her own happiness.

And so, she did exactly that.

Adora quickly turned on her heel and began to sprint the other direction. Away from the flight. Away from Shadow Weaver. Away from this. “ADORA!” Shadow Weaver screamed out, but Adora kept running.

She ran for the train nearby the airport. Once she was on there, she’d need to plan out a route.

Because in her mind, there was only one destination she needed to be. And she was going to fight like hell to get there. She was going to grip onto this happiness, even if it tore her fingers off.

Adora began to head for Solaris.


	9. Falling From The Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora heads to Solaris for a second chance.

“Adora! Get back here!”

Adora burst through the door of the airport, sprinting her heart out as she made her way to the nearby tram system.

She had to run through the entirety of the airport, drawing the attention of more than a few people. But she no longer cared what anyone else thought of her. She didn’t care what Shadow Weaver demanded from her.

She made her own choice. She was going to fight like hell to fulfill it.

Adora heard the sound of a honking car to her right, and she snapped her head to see a car rapidly approaching her, the headlights shining directly into her eyes. She had run onto the road without thinking, and the car desperately grinded to halt, stopping just in time and only lightly hitting Adora’s legs.

“ADORA!” Shadow Weaver cried out again as she watched her daughter sprint through traffic. Adora quickly ran away, managing to dodge between cars and taxis on the two lane street before making it onto a sidewalk.

She could see the stairs in the distance that led to the tram station, though it was hard to see anything considering how dark it was for the early morning. The streetlights were her only guide. She ran across an empty street this time, snapping her head to look back.

Shadow Weaver was rapidly approaching. It only convinced Adora to sprint even harder.

She made her way to the stairs, quickly running down them and skipping two steps at a time. The quick speed combined with how little she could see led to her missing a step, and she tumbled forward just as she reached the floor.

She shot out her arms as she tumbled forward, breaking her fall and rolling into it, quickly getting to her feet despite the scrapes the fall left behind. Perhaps adrenaline was blocking any pain. She looked to the subway tracks to see a large tram, its doors closing slowly.

Adora sprinted for it, jumping for the door and just managing to squeeze through the small gap and stumble in as the tram doors closed behind her. She sat on the ground, panting as she looked out the door and saw Shadow Weaver making her way to the bottom of the stairs, her eyes glaring at Adora as the tram sped away.

It was precious time given to her. The tram would hopefully take her near the train station where she’d be able to leave for Solaris. Shadow Weaver wouldn’t just give up, however. No doubt she’d be right on Adora’s tail soon enough.

Adora stood up, slowly recovering her breath as she walked towards a seat on the completely empty tram. No one else to give her weird looks or ask suspicious questions. She took a seat, pulling her phone and wallet from the small bag she was carrying and ditching the rest of the bag. No doubt she’d only need to bring the essentials on this trip.

She held the phone up to her ear, and began to call Catra.

* * *

Catra’s tired eyes slowly peeled open as her phone continued to buzz, over and over again.

She had gotten little sleep and had only just managed to reach the land of dreams a few minutes ago. She could only wonder who was calling her at this time of the morning. It was barely even light out.

She went to reach for the phone, but gritted her teeth as she felt a spike of pain shoot up her side from the sudden movement. Her body was still bruised from the beating Mike had given, and it had barely recovered. She had to take a deep breath, before quickly reached down and grabbing her phone, pulling it towards her in one swift movement.

Catra looked to the caller ID and immediately her eyes widened. She answered. “Adora, what’re you doing?” Catra asked. “I thought you were…”

“I’m coming to Solaris.”

“Huh?”

“I’m on the train right now.”

“Wait, WHAT?” Catra instantly shot up, before flinching from the stab of pain in her side. She also quickly had to quiet herself down, lest she wake up her parents. “What do you mean? Didn’t you say you were heading to New York?”

“Not anymore. I’m not letting anyone control my life,” Adora said, and Catra could hear the sheer determination in her voice. “Look, Shadow Weaver is not letting me off easy. No doubt she’s probably following me somehow.”

“I… Adora, why? Why are you coming to me?” Catra asked, shaking her head as she spoke.

“Because…” Adora went silent for a few moments. Catra waited for her answer, but instead, Adora let out a quick sigh. “Look, I’m heading into a tunnel, I’m gonna lose signal. We need to meet up atop Mt. Riverholm. That’ll slow down Shadow Weaver enough for us to talk.”

“Okay… Okay,” Catra nodded, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. “Just stay safe. Please, Adora.”

“I…” Adora went to answer, but the call suddenly disconnected. Catra looked at her phone for some time.

In the span of less than a minute, everything had suddenly changed. Adora had ran away from the flight, from Shadow Weaver, to get to Solaris? Catra had no idea why Adora would go to such great lengths for a meeting that would clearly not last long enough.

But it was another opportunity. And this time, Catra wasn’t going to waste it. This second chance.

She stood up, grabbing some warmer clothes. Early morning Solaris was always freezing, and she’d need gear suitable for the long trek up the mountain.

As she grabbed out her clothes, she suddenly saw the door to her bedroom open. She snapped her head, expecting to see one of her moms, but instead…

“Everything okay?” Scorpia asked, peeking in. “I heard you talking to someone.”

“I…” Catra hesitated to explain, continuing to put on her warm clothes, not wanting to waste a second. “It’s a long-distance friend. She’s on her way to meet up with me.”

“I didn’t know you had a long-distance friend,” Scorpia raised an eyebrow. “Are they coming here? Cause… I doubt our moms will be very happy with being woken up this early.”

“I’m going to meet them atop Riverholm. Don’t ask why. Just trust me,” Catra replied, putting on her jacket and heading towards the door. “Do you plan to stop me or something?”

“No! Just… I want you to be safe. You’re my sister and all…” Scorpia said, and Catra’s eyes glanced down at the floor. “I know you don’t think you’re ‘really’ in this family, but… Catra, you have to know that we all really love you. And after what happened with Mike… Our moms are really, really worried about you.”

Catra looked to the ground for some time. Normally, she’d be fine with pushing past Scorpia without another word. But having experienced the family Adora has, she had to think twice.

This may not have technically been her family by blood. But it was the people who loved and cared for her. The family that Adora never had. Catra had to take a second to think about the situation she was in compared to Adora. How lucky Catra was to have the family she does.

“… I love you all too,” Catra replied. “And… I need you to cover for me. Make sure neither of our moms know I’m out, alright? They’d kill me if they found out I was climbing a mountain in the state my body is in.”

“I’ll do my best, alright?” Scorpia smiled. Catra slowly tilted her head up to look at that smile. It was almost infectious, and she couldn’t help but return it.

“Thanks, Scorpia. You…” Catra wanted to look away, and she did, but soon enough she had to turn back and look into Scorpia’s eyes. “Thank you. For being a great sister.”

Scorpia’s eyes widened as she heard this. Catra calling her a ‘sister’. She rarely ever did that. And slowly, Scorpia’s eyes began to well with tears as she heard that word leave Catra’s lips in such a genuine tone.

“Um…” Catra cleared her throat as Scorpia slowly began to cry. “I need to… get past…”

“Oh! Right! Of course!” Scorpia nodded frantically, moving to the side. Catra began to walk away, but through her choked voice, Scorpia called out. “Take care of yourself.”

Catra put a hand on the wall, descending down the first step as quietly as she could before sharing a last glance with Scorpia. “You, too.”

Catra quickly stepped down the stairs, knowing which parts of the floorboards would creak and quietly avoiding those spots. She moved towards the front door, opening it as quietly as possible and stepping into the cold air of Solaris.

The moon was slowly beginning to descend, and a faint blue hue was visible in the distance as morning began to grow brighter and brighter. Catra could only just see the path ahead of her as she jogged towards the mountain, and she had to use the flashlight on her phone to light the way.

It was only a few minutes to reach the track. She looked out to the rest of the town, towards the wooden houses, small lake, and school. She looked at her wrist, no stripes remaining. And quickly, she rubbed her hands together.

A second chance. She had to succeed this time.

She began to run up the track towards the top of Mt. Riverholm.

* * *

“Now arriving at Solaris. Please make sure you have all personal belongings with you before you leave the train.”

When the doors opened, Adora stepped outside with wide eyes as she looked at the town she had only ever seen in Catra’s body.

It was an incredibly surreal experience, seeing all these familiar sights. The lake, the school, the buildings. Even the feeling of cold air against her body, which she could only counteract by wearing a red zip-up hoodie.

Catra was likely high up Mt. Riverholm by now with no signal on her phone. Adora simply had to rely on trust that she’d make it up there. There was a time limit, just like at the train station a few days ago. But Adora refused to fail this time.

She grabbed her phone and turned on the flashlight, looking for a map on the station’s bulletin board. She could see her breath form before her in the mist as she looked at the small map of Solaris.

“Take a left… Go straight… Left turn up the stairs and then right towards the track…” Adora spoke quietly to herself, tracing the path with her finger.

But as she looked to the map, she saw another light flashing behind herself. She turned to see a car rapidly approaching in the distance. Adora didn’t need more than a few seconds to recognize whose car it was.

She expected Shadow Weaver to be following her, but not this soon. She quickly turned off her flashlight, running away from the station and towards the town, doing her best to remember the map by memory. She should’ve taken a picture.

She ran to the streets of Solaris, feeling the crushing of dirt and pebbles beneath her feet as she blasted through the wind. The town was dark, but the blue and orange sky in the distance was slowly lighting everything up.

The memories she had of this place were ones that were a little foggy in her mind, but they were there. The talk she had with Lonnie during the festival, the school in which she beat multiple people at once during a basketball game, the walks she had with Catra’s parents down these very streets.

She breathed in the air. It was different than the city. It felt like ice in her lungs, but in a way, it was almost refreshing. The claustrophobic heat of the city was exhausting at points. This felt freer. Even if it was anything but for some people.

As she began to run past houses, not daring to look back, she slowly came across a familiar part of the town. The small section in which Lonnie’s house was placed. Adora had only been there once in Catra’s body.

She saw Lonnie’s pushbike out the front of the house. Adora came to a stop, having to think quick on her feet. If she wanted to gain some considerable distance, this was a choice she needed to make. Besides, Lonnie was at Catra’s home for the time being.

“Sorry, Lonnie… I need to borrow this,” Adora whispered, grabbing Lonnie’s bike and hopping on it, beginning to bike downhill towards the track. She remembered the trip she took with Lonnie up the mountain. At the very least, the bike should get her halfway up.

Adora had never met Lonnie in person, and yet she felt such a close connection with her. Lonnie would never know who Adora was, and yet they’ve had such immensely intimate conversations. This bizarreness had just become the norm in Adora’s mind. Perhaps one day she’d get to meet Lonnie for the first time all over again.

She began to go down the hill at a rapid speed, but Adora took a quick opportunity to look to the right as she went by Catra’s house. The house she had stayed in every other day. She felt safe within those walls, with a family that cared about her.

Adora smiled, turning right and going towards the Riverholm track. The speed she got was enough for her to get a small boost up the initial uphill section of the track. She turned her head to look behind herself, seeing a small flashlight in the distance. Shadow Weaver was still after her, but the time Adora had gained was considerable.

The last push uphill was one she needed to exhaust her legs for, but Adora kept pushing. She wasn’t missing Catra this time. She wasn’t going to waste this opportunity. Not again. She gritted her teeth and kept on pushing.

She eventually made it to a flat part of the track, and let out an exhausted gasp as the bike gently began to roll along. She picked up some speed, trying to gain as much distance as she could.

Adora hadn’t even started to think about what would happen atop the mountain. What would happen when Shadow Weaver caught her. She only had Catra on her mind. Getting to Catra. Talking to her. Telling her everything.

Everything? Including her feelings? Adora hadn’t decided yet. She didn’t know if she could.

She looked out to her left towards the town as she biked along the trail, feeling her hair blow with the wind as it hit her face. The sky was beginning to grow brighter and brighter, and the birds began to sing as they woke up.

Even with all this rush, the time on this track was almost peaceful. Soothing.

If Adora had chosen to make Shadow Weaver and Mr. Jefferson happy, she’d be on a cramped plane by now, high in the sky and misery in her gut. She’d be frowning, not even able to listen to music since it would remind her too much of Catra.

But she had chosen for herself. Her own happiness. Her own love. And instead of a cramped plane, the town of Solaris is where she was instead. This beautiful lake surrounded by old buildings and grassy hills. This refreshing wind and cool air.

It was beautiful. Everything felt beautiful.

Adora turned her head to face the track to see a sudden sharp turn ahead. She gasped, trying to bring the bike around. However, she soon overturned and caused the bike to be knocked off balance. And although she tried to stay up, Adora soon came toppling to the ground.

She rolled against the hard dirt beneath her, feeling cuts slice onto her skin from the pebbles as the bike rolled off the track. Adora let out a grunt of pain as she eventually came to a stop, laying on her stomach and hanging near the edge of the track, her arms dangling over a long fall.

She managed to get a view of the bike flying off the track and into the ground, many feet below. After a few seconds, it crashed into a tree, breaking apart.

Lonnie likely wouldn’t be happy about that.

Adora felt raw cuts on her skin, and she tried to stand up, but felt a pain spike through her leg. The second fall she had taken today, and her body wasn’t handling it well.

She crumbled again as she tried to stand up, As she laid on her stomach, her cheek pressed against the ground and her arms spread out before her, Adora noticed something.

On her left palm was some writing.

Bold marker covered by her curled fingers. She hadn’t seen it until just now. She narrowed her eyes, and deduced that it was likely a message from Catra. Adora didn’t remember writing anything on herself.

Slowly, Adora uncovered her fingers to reveal the message written on her palm. Three words written by Catra during their last swap. Three words that took Adora’s breath away. Three words she thought she’d never see.

On Adora’s palm was the simple message:

‘ _I love you_.’

Adora looked at the message with wide eyes. She wasn’t sure how long she was on the ground for, but she soon felt her lips beginning to wobble as she held her palm close to her cheek. “Catra…” Adora choked out quietly to herself.

She could hear footsteps approaching her. Shadow Weaver’s, no doubt. Adora’s leg was slowly beginning to sting less and less, but the advantage she got was all but wasted. That message was everything Adora had ever wanted to see.

And as Shadow Weaver approached, Adora closed her eyes and kept replaying the three words in her mind.

* * *

An hour had passed since Catra arrived at the top of the mountain.

She kept looking at her phone, even if it had no signal. She was locked away from communicating with Adora. Just like last time.

How far away was she? Catra almost wanted to go down the mountain to check, but she had agreed with Adora to meet here. The last like she left too early, she missed Adora by mere seconds.

The day was getting brighter and brighter as the night sky slowly became almost golden. The sun was still covered by distant mountains, but it would soon break the horizon and perhaps shed some warmth on the freezing cold mountain.

Catra pocketed her phone, looking out towards the tiny town of Solaris from all the way up the mountain. “Where are you…?” She whispered to herself, trying to perhaps spot Adora’s figure, as impossible as it was from up here.

What if it was like last time? What if Adora never showed up because Shadow Weaver caught her?

Catra’s heart was bubbling with anxiety. Adora wasted her opportunity for New York just to be in Solaris right here, right now. What if she failed and this was all for nothing? Even more than that, why would Adora ever go to such great lengths for someone like Catra?

These thoughts plagued her mind. Had Adora seen her message on her palm? Most likely. It was meant as a parting gift, and now she had to face Adora after that confession. Catra could already feel her blush.

Another ten minutes passed with nothing but wind and the slowly ascending sun. Catra was beginning to lose hope. Perhaps Adora would never show. Perhaps this was all a failure like last time. Perhaps they were never destined to meet.

Why would the universe give them the ability to swap if it meant they could never meet? Catra didn’t understand the cruelty of it all. She hated that she’d never get what she wanted so desperately: to be in Adora’s arms.

There was no point. Catra knew this was just like last time. Adora had probably been caught. It had been too long by now.

Slowly, Catra turned around, looking down at the dirt ground as she began to walk towards the path that would lead her down the mountain. Each step felt heavy.

But just as she began to walk, she suddenly felt a bright light hit her body, filling her with warmth. She squinted, looking up and to her right, towards the sunrise. It was beginning to peek over the mountains, filling the air with warmth and light.

Catra looked to the sunrise for a few seconds, before her head slowly turned towards the path once more.

And then, Catra froze.

A small gust of wind blew by as her eyes went wide, her hair flowing with the wind. She stared for only a couple of seconds.

But then, a smile crawled on Catra’s face.

The wind came to a halt, and Catra’s hair stilled. She took a breath, and spoke.

“Hey, Adora.”

Standing before Catra at the top of that mountain was Adora herself.

Adora’s eyes were wide, with tears welling in her eyes as she looked at Catra’s smile. The sun shined on the both of them, a deep orange filling the sky as they looked to each other for the very first time.

“Catra…?” Adora spoke with a hoarse voice. Her body was covered in small cuts as she took a couple of steps towards her. “Is… Is that you…?” She asked, raising her hands slightly. She placed them against Catra’s shoulders, letting out a small gasp as she felt Catra’s clothes.

“I came all this way to see you…” Catra replied, raising a hand and placing it over Adora’s on her shoulder. Adora’s skin felt so familiar, and yet so brand new. “Which wasn’t easy, by the way. My body still feels like crap.”

“I…” Adora eyes were wide as she looked Catra up and down. “Catra…”

“Are you… going to say anything else?” Catra teased, though her words were betrayed by the tears in her eyes as she put on a smirk.

“Well, I’m trying! I… I had to run up here, you know!” Adora said, tears rolling down her cheeks as Catra let out a soft chuckle. “This just… doesn’t feel real… It feels like I’m dreaming…”

“Does it…?” Catra asked.

She looked to Adora’s hands on her shoulders for a few more seconds, before suddenly pressing Adora’s skin between her thumb and index finger, pinching her.

“Hey! What’d you do that for?” Adora asked, recoiling slightly.

“I pinched you. And you didn’t wake up. Now do the same to me,” Catra suggested, holding out her arm and rolling up her sleeve.

Adora looked to Catra’s arm for some time, before pinching her skin and twisting it slightly.

“Ow! You didn’t have to do it that hard! That hurt!” Catra said, laughing as she rubbed the spot Adora pinched.

“Well… You didn’t wake up either,” Adora replied, shaking her head. “So… This is real.”

“Yeah… It is,” Catra nodded. She looked into Adora’s eyes for a few more seconds. Adora returned the look. Those different colored eyes Catra had. They were real. They were right before her.

Slowly, Catra held up a hand, her palm facing Adora. It took Adora a few seconds before she realized what Catra wanted.

Eventually, Adora did the same, holding up her right palm, and slowly, she pressed it against Catra’s. A soft gasp came from the two of them as they held hands.

They interlocked their fingers, feeling each other’s skin, their warmth.

They looked to each other’s hands for some time, before they returned the gaze to each other’s eyes. Their mouths were slightly agape, but slowly, Catra’s lips curled into a smile. And Adora’s did the same.

And soon, Catra began to giggle.

She tried to hold it back, but the happiness was too much. And hearing her beautiful laughter was enough for Adora to start chuckling as well. One laugh fuelled the other as they held hands, and they weren’t even sure what was so funny.

They were just so happy.

They laughed as the sun began to rise higher and higher, filling the sky with brightness and warmth. The town of Solaris began to awaken as Adora and Catra’s laughter echoed on and into the horizon. Adora had so much to say, and Catra did too.

But for now, they could only laugh. The beauty of everything was so incredibly joyful.

As Adora slowly came down from her laughter, she heard distant footsteps behind herself. Her lips slowly curved downwards as she let go of Catra’s hand. “We… We don’t have a lot of time,” Adora whispered.

“Shadow Weaver…?” Catra asked, and Adora nodded. “She’s… She’s going to take you away, isn’t she?”

“I don’t know…” Adora said softly. She couldn’t look into Catra’s eyes anymore. She only felt guilt.

But soon enough, Catra rested a hand on Adora’s cheek.

She tilted Adora’s head towards her, looking into her bright eyes. “I know it’s beyond your control, but…” Catra choked out the words between the tears. “Please… Stay.”

“… I promise,” Adora said quietly, grabbing Catra’s hand and running her thumb along her palm. It was a soft, ticklish feeling that Catra loved so much.

Eventually, Adora let go of Catra’s hand, before turning to face the path, looking to see Shadow Weaver slowly making her way up and towards them. Adora instinctively put an arm out, almost protecting Catra from whatever danger may come.

“Adora…” Shadow Weaver spoke in the most venomous voice either of them had heard in their lives. “ _What_ are you doing here?”

“I’m choosing for myself,” Adora declared. “You can’t stop us. I’m not going to just blindly obey you anymore.”

“You…” Shadow Weaver looked between the two of them. “You would choose this… random girl over me? The one who has worked years to provide you with comfort and a home? The one who would provide you your future if you were not so selfish?”

“She makes me happy. You’ve never made me so much as smile,” Adora shook her head. “This isn’t going to go your way. Not anymore!”

Catra looked at Adora. She was surprised at how she stood up to Shadow Weaver. How she was able to call her out. Adora had never been able to do something like that before in Catra’s eyes.

“… I see you won’t make this easy. But you _will_ thank me for this,” Shadow Weaver sighed, stepping towards Adora. “I’m taking you home.”

“Don’t touch me!” Adora growled, taking a step back. But there was only so far she and Catra could go, as the edge of the mountain was behind them. And running around Shadow Weaver didn’t seem likely to succeed.

“This is for your own good!” Shadow Weaver bellowed. “Step away from that useless girl!”

Adora grabbed Catra’s hand suddenly. Catra returned it with a squeeze as Adora closed her eyes.

“She’s my star!” Adora declared, holding Catra’s hand tight as she shut her eyes tight. “And I won’t let you take me away from her!”

* * *

A few seconds passed. The wind grew much, much colder around Adora.

She felt everything begin to fly past, the sound of howling wind filled her ears, and when Adora opened her eyes, she was falling from the stars.

The third time. This was the third time she had this bizarre dream of falling. But it’s likely Catra was experiencing it too. She looked around to see storm clouds smothering everything. Her body was soaked in the water from the clouds.

“Catra!” Adora called out as she fell rapidly to the ground, her clothes flopping with the wind. She looked all around, no longer panicking but instead focused on finding her. Finding her love. Finding Catra.

She looked around frantically, her eyes wide and her breath catching in her throat.

“Adora! Adora, I’m here!” Catra called out in the distance, and Adora snapped her head to see a falling figure approaching her.

Catra was able to control her falling, speeding down to Adora and reaching out a hand. Even among all the storm clouds, Adora desperately pushed through. She knew what she had to do as she reached out her hand.

The two of them desperately reached for each other. Getting closer and closer, arms outstretched, ready to grab the other’s hand. And slowly, their fingertips brushed together. Adora could feel them.

And then, a gust of wind blew them both apart.

“No, no, no, NO!” Adora cried out as Catra was blown away and even lower to the ground, letting out a panicked scream. Adora straightened out her body, falling towards Catra as quickly as she could. She couldn’t even tell how high up she was. All that surrounded her was storm clouds.

Adora didn’t feel like she was getting any closer. Catra’s body slowly stilled as she turned to face the sky and looked up at Adora with sad eyes, her hands still outstretched but her hope lost.

“Adora…” Catra called out, her voice choking. “You still haven’t answered my question.”

Adora looked at her with wide eyes. She tried to reach out, but it was getting harder and harder. The ground may have been mere feet away for all she knew. “What question…?” Adora asked, wanting to share her last words with Catra before she was likely to be taken away again.

“Why…?” Catra asked. “Why go this far? Why give up on New York? Why do all this… for me? What do I matter? I’m not worth all this…”

Adora’s breath stopped for a few seconds. She felt her heart slow for a while. She looked to Catra’s tear-filled eyes. A question like that…

Had only one answer.

“Because I’m sick of people choosing for me!” Adora began, falling faster and getting closer to Catra. “Because I don’t care what Shadow Weaver or Mr. Jefferson or anyone wants from me! Because I want to choose my own happiness! Because you matter to me more than any piano, more than any music, more than any person!”

“Adora…” Catra’s lips wobbled slightly as Adora got closer.

“Who cares if I ‘give up’ on New York? That stupid place would never make me happy! _You_ make me happy! Because you’re worth every bit of effort! Because you’re worth _everything_ to me!” Adora desperately cried, her own eyes filling with tears.

And slowly, Adora uncurled her fingers to reveal the message Catra wrote on her own palm.

“Catra… You wrote on my palm that you love me?” Adora asked as she showed Catra the message. Catra could only stare with wide eyes.

But eventually, a smile forming on her face, Catra nodded. “You’re such an idiot…” Catra choked.

Adora returned with a similar smile, similar tears. She took a great, deep breath, and made one last desperate lunge for Catra, crying out her final words.

“I love you, too!”

And with those words, Adora finally grabbed Catra’s hand.

Immediately, the storm clouds around them blew away, revealing a perfect orange sky of the morning sun as they fell atop the town of Solaris. The view before them being endless mountains, roads, hills, grass, towns and nature.

Catra reached out, taking Adora’s right hand as they fell together, almost dancing together.

The air felt warm, and the sun shined bright. They shared no other words, but their smiles told each other everything. Their feelings were out, and their hearts were racing. But it was everything they wanted, and more.

Catra brought Adora close, and their foreheads pressed together as they smiled and closed their eyes. No more storm. No more confusion. No more sorrow or panic or angst. Just the love they shared among the morning sky.

And when they closed their eyes and embraced each other, they didn’t feel the impact of hitting the ground. In fact, they never reached the ground at all.

They simply closed their eyes. And loved.

* * *

When Adora awoke, she was laying on something soft, with the bright morning sun shining in her eyes.

She blinked against the light for a bit, before slowly sitting up. She was in the back seat of a car, driving alone a desolate road. Her body felt exhausted, and there were tear stains on her cheeks.

Cuts on her body almost burnt whenever she tried to move around, but when she looked ahead, she saw that she was being driven home by Shadow Weaver.

“What… What’s going on?” Adora asked, rubbing her eyes.

“I’m taking you home. We missed our flight and they cancelled the deal. We’re staying home after all,” Shadow Weaver explained. “I told you something like this would happen.”

Adora sighed, looking out the window to see endless fields. “How did I get here? Where… Where are we?” She asked once more.

Shadow Weaver glanced in the rear-view mirror, before returning her eyes to road. “Perhaps your exhaustion got the best of you. I don’t know what happened, but you and Catra just suddenly… passed out. Collapsed. I managed to carry you both down. Catra’s parents were not pleased.”

“What do you mean…?” Adora asked.

“You ran all this way… Just for that girl. Catra. Does she really mean that much to you? That you would sacrifice everything for her?” Shadow Weaver asked. Adora rubbed her forehead, feeling a pounding headache. No memories came to her of whatever Shadow Weaver was saying.

“Catra?” Adora asked. She looked to Shadow Weaver again, shaking her head as she spoke.

“Who… Who’s Catra?”


	10. Tears in Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a strange trip to Solaris, Adora returns to a life of normality. Despite the strange name of 'Catra' popping up every now and then in her life, Adora chooses to ignore it. Catra was not important. She never will be.

Adora opened the door to the empty apartment.

Her blank eyes looked around at the familiar kitchen littered with cardboard boxes. That’s right. They were meant to move out today. But now they were back in this crummy place in the same boring city.

“We’ll have to get to unpacking everything,” Shadow Weaver sighed, closing the door behind herself. She placed her keys and phone on the kitchen table, looking around the apartment with tired eyes. “What a mess.”

Adora was inclined to agree. She could peek into her bedroom to see boxes spewing out of it, all of which would need to be unpacked. They could’ve been in a nice apartment by now, with the sight of New York before them.

“Have you got anything to say for yourself?” Shadow Weaver asked. Adora didn’t make eye contact with her. She simply looked around at the dark apartment. “… I’m talking to you.”

“No…” Adora shook her head, turning to face Shadow Weaver. “I’m sorry, mom. This won’t happen again.”

“Of course it won’t. I won’t let that happen,” Shadow Weaver spat. Adora took a step back, but as her eyes wondered, she looked to Shadow Weaver’s phone on the kitchen table. It had an app open, with a map and a dot on it.

Adora narrowed her eyes. “Have you…” She looked to Shadow Weaver. “Have you been… tracking me?”

“That’s not important,” Shadow Weaver cut her off, taking the phone away before Adora could ask any more questions. “You should be thankful I found you. From now on, I’m doubling your practice. After your disgraceful act, no doubt every agent in the country knows what you did. Perfection isn’t good enough anymore. You need to be a prodigy.”

“Yes, mom,” Adora nodded. She was right, after all. Adora had screwed over everything for a single girl.

A girl she couldn’t remember. But Shadow Weaver seemed to be fine with Adora not remembering. And Shadow Weaver was always right.

“Go to your room. Unpack your things. You have morning and afternoon practice tomorrow,” Shadow Weaver said, flicking her hand towards Adora’s bedroom as she took a seat at the kitchen table with a heavy sigh. “I need a drink.”

“Of course, mom,” Adora nodded. She turned around, moving between cardboard boxes and entering her bedroom.

She didn’t quite remember packing all these boxes.

Her memory had become fuzzy. Confusing. Shadow Weaver refused to explain anything, but her behaviour was extremely unnerving. Shadow Weaver had stopped on the way home to catch up on her emails, but the entire time, she refused to answer questions about Catra.

Adora never dared to question her after that. After all, Shadow Weaver was always right. Whoever this Catra was, she wasn’t important. She never was. She never will be.

She opened one box to find her bed sheets and pillow. She grabbed them out, neatly tucking the sheets into her bed and laying everything in order. It was around midday, but Adora didn’t feel like getting lunch. She didn’t feel like doing anything except unpacking and making notes on piano.

Opening another box revealed her binder book of sheet music. She placed it neatly on the empty desk, remembering to take it to practice tomorrow.

She reached into the box to find some more paper. And when she pulled it out, she expected to see more sheet music or notes.

But instead, Adora found a drawing.

It was a landscape, atop a high mountain, looking at a small town with a lake in the middle. A greyscale sketch with a lot of effort put into it, and a signature at the bottom. Her own signature. Adora raised an eyebrow.

“When did I draw this…?” Adora asked. She didn’t recall having a passion or talent for drawing.

Perhaps she drew this when she was younger and on a holiday? Her memory was betraying her once more. She couldn’t recall a single thing about this drawing.

But it was taking up space. It was cluttering the box, and would not fit in her room. It had nothing to do with piano or the future.

And so, Adora scrunched up the drawing, and threw it in the garbage.

She pulled out another piece of paper to reveal another drawing, a portrait of a woman with a warm smile on her face and shoulder-length dreadlocks.

Adora had no idea who this was, and yet again, the drawing had her signature at the bottom. Did she go through a drawing phase? Adora was never good at remembering things from her younger years.

But it wasn’t piano. It wasn’t important.

Adora scrunched it up and threw it in the garbage.

She pulled out another drawing, this one of a strong woman with undercut white hair and a big, goofy smile. Another drawing with Adora’s signature on it. Adora shook her head, sighing.

She scrunched it up and threw it in the garbage.

Drawing after drawing after drawing. Landscapes, portraits, all of it building up into a pile in the trash. She had never seen these places, never met these people. It was no longer important. Nothing else mattered except piano.

Once the box of drawings was emptied, Adora expected that to be the end of it. She opened another one, hoping to find something more useful this time.

But when she looked in, she found supplies for drawing.

“Are you kidding me…?” Adora scoffed to herself. Pencils, pens, a drawing pad, and a whole PC. This had to be a joke at this point. Adora could not remember a single thing about these drawings or purchasing these supplies. It’s like half of Adora’s life had disappeared in her mind.

Adora wondered if she still had a talent for drawing. Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to plug in the PC and practice a bit…

Immediately, she pushed the idea out. Her drawings weren’t even that good, there was mistakes in the anatomy and imperfections in the environment. Besides, it’s not like drawing could get her anywhere. There was no secure future where drawing could help. It was a useless talent; a waste of time that would get her little attention from anyone.

“Mom?” Adora called out as she looked at the gear. “I know money is tight, so I think I’m going to put a few things up for sale. Is that okay?”

“… You’re finally selling that ridiculous drawing gear?” Shadow Weaver asked. ‘Finally’? Adora never recalled having it in the first place. But it sounded like a load off Shadow Weaver’s back. “By all means, go for it.”

“Thanks, mom,” Adora replied, putting the box away to sell for later. It was the last box of drawing supplies she had, and every other box after that was full of actually useful things, such as clothes or sheet music.

As she tore open another box, she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket slightly. She looked down, pulling it out to reveal a text from Glimmer.

‘You make it to New York? I thought you’d call me when you got there.’

Adora looked at the text. She didn’t remember making a promise like that. But then again, she didn’t remember a lot of things at the moment. She typed back a simple message to her friend.

‘I didn’t. I screwed everything up, like usual. I’m going to make things right and practice more from now on. Shadow Weaver deserves better.’

Adora looked up at the drawings in her garbage, before looking back at her phone. Perhaps she could find answers in her contacts of who these people were.

She opened them, seeing a small set of contacts, though they were mostly familiar names. Glimmer, Bow, Mr. Jefferson, Shadow Weaver. She received a call from an unknown number a few days ago, but it was likely a scammer anyway.

But one contact she didn’t recognize was the same name that’s been popping up. ‘Catra’.

Adora narrowed her eyebrows as she opened the contact and looked at the number. She had called Catra many times the last few weeks. None of the conversations she remembered. This wasn’t just a little weird. It was almost paranormal.

She had hour long conversations, some stretching out to four hours, but not a single second of which she could remember. Adora’s hand hovered over the ‘call’ button. Perhaps Catra would have answers for all this.

“I’m going to bed. Try not to make any noise,” Shadow Weaver said as she strolled past Adora’s room. Adora jolted slightly.

“Yes, mom,” Adora nodded, looking over her shoulder to see Shadow Weaver shut her bedroom door. She looked at the closed door for some time, before looking back at the contact before her.

Catra wasn’t important. Shadow Weaver said so. Adora sighed, kicking herself for her temporary foolishness. She had to remember Shadow Weaver’s words. This Catra didn’t matter. No friends mattered. Nothing mattered except piano and making it big.

And so, Adora deleted Catra’s contact off her phone.

* * *

“Hey? Wildcat?”

Catra felt a soft tap on her shoulder, awakening her from a deep sleep. Her eyes slowly opened to see Scorpia looking down at her, and she blinked against the sunlight streaming in from the window next to herself.

“Hey… You doing alright?” Scorpia asked, tilting her head slightly as Catra sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “I made you hot chocolate.”

“… Thanks,” Catra replied, looking at the small mug in Scorpia’s large hands. She took it with her own, looking at the steaming liquid. Her body felt like it was aching all over, and her legs felt like they were on fire.

“I think our moms aren’t as upset anymore. Though I doubt you’re going to get away that easily from now on,” Scorpia said, taking a seat next to Catra’s bed. “Did you… get to see your long-distance friend?”

“… Huh?” Catra asked.

“Your friend. The one you ran all the way up the mountain for. What was she like?” Scorpia asked, a smile on her face as she was eager to hear the story. But Catra looked at her like she had a third eye.

“I… What are you talking about? When did I run up the mountain? Why would I do that? That sounds stupid,” Catra shook her head. “I don’t have a long-distance friend. Those kinds of relationships never work out anyway.”

“Oh… Did it go bad?” Scorpia asked.

“Wha… It didn’t happen at all! Who are you even talking about?” Catra asked, convinced Scorpia was trying to fuck with her.

“I…” Scorpia opened her mouth to say more, but she instantly closed it. Catra’s look of confusion seemed almost genuine, and perhaps it was something she didn’t want to speak about. “… Well, I’m here if you ever want to talk about it, alright?”

“Scorpia…” Catra sighed. “Look… Thanks for the hot chocolate, but… I think I just want to lay in bed today. My head hurts. My… My everything hurts.”

“Alright. Um…” Scorpia slowly stood up. “Well… If you ever want to… you know, record some music or whatever, I’d be happy to help out.”

“Record… music? Why would I want to do that?” Catra asked. Whatever Scorpia just said was incredibly strange.

“Hasn’t it been a while since your last song? Oh, I can sing for your next one! I know I always say I get nervous when singing or whatever, but you know what, as a favor to my favorite sister, I think I can help out just this once!” Scorpia suggested, a beaming smile on her face.

Sister. That word didn’t sound right. Scorpia wasn’t Catra’s sister. Not really.

“… Can you grab me my English notes from my bag? I’ve missed too many days of school and I need to catch up,” Catra replied, gesturing to the school bag in the corner.

“Oh… Um… Sure,” Scorpia said, though with a hint of confusion. She went over, picking up the bag and placing it next to Catra’s bed.

“Thanks,” Catra said as she pulled her notebook out of her bag. However, she could feel Scorpia’s eyes staring at her with confusion. She returned the look. “What? What’s wrong with me taking notes?”

“Nothing! Just… I’ve never seen you prioritize note-taking over music. You usually do all the notes you need at school and work on music at home,” Scorpia explained.

“What good is music going to do for me?” Catra asked. Scorpia’s eyes visibly widened.

“… I’m… I’m going to give you some space. Alright?” Scorpia said, holding up her hands and slowly backing away. Catra’s words were incredibly confusing. She had been acting weird the last few weeks, but this was something more. “I’ll be in the studio if you ever feel like changing your mind.”

“… Before you go,” Catra spoke as Scorpia opened the bedroom door. “Could you talk to Cerata and Leah about maybe doing something useful with that studio? Maybe turn it into a study area or a guest bedroom? We can sell all the instruments and such.”

“But… But you worked hard for those. Are you sure?” Scorpia asked.

“Positive,” Catra replied as if it was the most casual thing in the world. Scorpia looked to her sister with worried eyes for a few more seconds.

“… Moms.”

“Huh?”

“They’re our moms. You… You know they don’t like when you call them by their first names,” Scorpia cautioned. Catra held a pen in her hand for a few seconds, a notebook in front of her. A moment of hesitation.

“… They’re your moms. They’re not mine. They never will be,” Catra said coldly, before diving into her notes. Scorpia almost wanted to run up and hug her in that moment, but she could never quite build up the courage.

She looked to the floor, and silently closed the bedroom door, giving Catra some space.

* * *

The hall was completely empty when Adora stepped on stage.

All the cameras, business people and eager audience were gone, instead replaced by rows of empty chairs. Shadow Weaver was right, Adora had lost all credibility within the industry. She’d need to start anew.

It hurt. After all, she needed those high numbers. Seeing everyone else with thousands of viewers and so many likes, as compared to her own shows with nobody to watch except Shadow Weaver, it really hurt.

But nevertheless, she needed to practice. It was early in the morning, so perhaps more people would come later at night. But it had just been a little over twenty-four hours since she ran from the airport. News spread fast.

She looked over to Shadow Weaver, watching from the darkness. She expected more than perfection this time. Adora needed to become a miracle. A legend. And she needed to do it soon.

She sat in front of the piano, grabbing her binder book of sheet music and going for the more complex songs. One that lasted seventeen minutes was a good idea. She needed to impress. She needed to be more than perfect.

But as she placed the binder book on the stand in front of the piano, she noticed a single piece of paper slip from the back of it.

She raised an eyebrow as the paper fluttered down to the floor. She reached down, picking it up and expecting more sheet music.

But when she turned it over, she saw another drawing.

Another woman. Freckled cheeks, heterochromatic eyes, messy hair, and a smooth smile. The drawing was signed by Adora. At first, Adora wanted to throw away this portrait too. She brought up both hands, ready to tear the drawing in two.

But something in her body stopped her.

This woman… She was familiar. She brought back memories buried in the back of Adora’s mind, hazy and fuzzy. Something about her invoked a deep, deep sense of nostalgia, whilst at the same time seeming like someone Adora knew very well.

She held the drawing in her hands for some time, before hearing Shadow Weaver clear her throat. She needed to play.

But instead of throwing the drawing away, she placed it on the stand. The portrait was looking straight at her. She returned the look. She placed both hands on the piano, glancing at the sheet music and getting ready to play that.

But she stopped. She looked back at the portrait. Back at the sheet music. The portrait. The sheet music. Both tempting her. But only one was really grabbing her attention.

She pressed her left index finger against one note.

Her eyes were locked with the portrait now. Nothing else mattered. Not Shadow Weaver’s judgement. Not the sheet music. Nothing but this portrait, and the music that played in her mind.

Another two notes. Slow. Methodical. Adora was making the song up as she went along. She looked to the portrait and thought of the music that would match. After a few notes, she brought her playing to a temporary stop and decided to instead do a little bit of method playing.

Bringing both hands to different notes, she took in a breath. She shared one last glance with the portrait.

And then, Adora began to play on her own accord.

And as she did, she closed her eyes, and thought about a woman from a town named Solaris.

_“Adora? Is… Is that you?”_

This woman’s voice had a way of soothing her ears. The way she spoke echoed in Adora’s mind as she played a completely different song. A new song, one that doesn’t exist. One that Adora chose for herself.

_“Isn’t that the sixth drawing you’ve done of my life now? If I had anyone else drawing this much about me, I might be creeped out by it.”_

Adora drew this woman. Her friends. Her family. The town she lived. Herself. Slowly, the memories started to become clear as Adora played. This woman’s words rung in her mind over and over again.

_“We’ve totally been switching bodies, right?”_

Switching bodies. Adora woke up in hers all the time. It started off like a dream, but it was real. It was becoming clearer.

_“You really like my music that much?”_

Her songs… Adora helped out on one of them. Her songs were beautiful, creative, varied. Adora listened to them so much. What was her name…?

_“I don’t know… Love is so fucked up sometimes. I just can’t ever imagine anyone genuinely loving me. It’s not like I have anything to offer. No one could ever really care about me.”_

No… That wasn’t true.

Adora played a painful note, but her fingers kept moving, almost on her own. Her mind was lost in these words.

_“These big numbers… These comments of love… I appreciate them all. I liked making this song. But… The best part of all this was just hearing you sing.”_

Her name. Her name. What was her name? Adora’s eyes shut tight. She tried desperately to remember.

_“I really wish I was there with you, Adora… I really wish I could hug you…”_

Adora wished the same. She wanted to be in her arms. She wanted to be with…

_“Adora, this doesn’t mean the end! I’m going to see you, remember? And I’ll make it soon. I promise.”_

They did make it. Adora saw her. She was at Solaris to see her. She saw…

_“I know it’s beyond your control, but… Please…”_

Catra.

_“… Stay.”_

Adora saw Catra.

Adora switched bodies with Catra.

Adora fell in love with Catra.

Adora… still loved Catra.

Her eyes opened, and a steady tear fell onto the piano. Slowly, everything came back. All those swaps. All those memories. They flooded in endlessly, like a dam finally unblocked.

Adora’s fingers came to a rest as the song ended. It was nothing like she had ever heard or played before, but she slowly looked up as a tear streamed down her cheek. A smile came to her face as she remembered those late night calls, the love she felt, and the way they finally met and confessed.

She remembered her drawing. The love she had for it. The future she wanted with art and Catra and happiness.

She didn’t look to Shadow Weaver or the empty seats. She didn’t care about them. She had chosen her own happiness. Nothing was going to stop her from reaching out for it, even if she had to fight. She looked up to the sky with determination.

And now, with her memories back, Adora knew what she had to do.

* * *

The door to Adora’s bedroom burst open.

She panted from having ran all the way home, but she had to be quick. She had to remember everything. She had to find a way to get back to Catra.

She quickly tipped over the garbage, spilling crumbled paper all over the floor of the bedroom. The drawings were still there.

She grabbed one paper, placing it on the bed and smoothing it out to reveal a portrait of a woman. Adora studied it for some time. “… Lonnie,” Adora said to herself, her memories of being atop the mountain alongside Lonnie rushing to her.

She grabbed another drawing, flattening it out to reveal a drawing of the same view she and Lonnie shared all those days ago. The view atop Mt. Riverholm. The view from that showed off the town of Solaris. It was all coming back.

Another drawing showed the portrait of Scorpia, Catra’s sister and a loving friend. A part of the family Adora always wanted. Scorpia, Cerata, Leah. They meant so much to her. And Adora remembered each and every second she spent with them.

She quickly grabbed her phone from her pocket. Catra’s contact was gone, and all trace of their previous calls erased. Adora could remember the details of Solaris, but Catra’s phone number was still lost from her memory.

Besides. Even if Adora could call her, Catra was likely in a similar state to Adora of not being able to remember. And given how uncertain everything was, Adora had no idea how long she’d have her memories of Catra for. She needed to be there in person, not over a call. Adora needed to see Catra again. She needed to risk everything again.

She couldn’t afford another train ticket to Solaris, but there was still another option. She called another contact on her phone, her eyes glancing at all the drawings of Solaris and of Catra’s loved ones.

“Adora? Are… Are you okay?” Glimmer asked as she picked up. Her voice was a tad deep, given how early in the morning it was for her.

“I’m fine. But I need your help. Like… I need a _huge_ favor,” Adora said, taking a seat on the bed.

“What is it?” Glimmer asked.

“There’s a town… Solaris… I have a friend there. No…” Adora stuttered for a moment, trying to decide the right thing to say. But she owed Glimmer the truth. “… I have someone I love there. And I need to meet her soon, but the train tickets are expensive. It will take a couple of hours, but…”

“Sure. I’ll drive you there,” Glimmer said without another moment of hesitance.

“W… What? Really?” Adora asked, not expecting it to be _that_ easy.

“A road-trip with you sounds a hell of a lot better than a day at school,” Glimmer said, and Adora could hear the smile in her voice.

“It… It might be three or four hours to get there,” Adora added.

“And if anyone else told me that, I’d laugh in their face. But for you…” Glimmer chuckled. “I can make an exception. But you definitely owe me another date, and I’m choosing the location this time.”

“Deal,” Adora replied. “I… I thought you’d be hurt, if I’m honest. Since this is for someone I love, and…”

“Adora,” Glimmer cut her off. “I love you. And that means I want you to be happy. If this person makes you happy, that should be more important than whatever jealousy I have. Besides… If they’re cute, they can join us on our date.”

Adora smiled. She was immensely glad Glimmer wasn’t too hung up about everything that occurred over the last few days. She really cared about Adora. And Adora cared about her. “I owe you so much for this. Be here as soon as you can.”

“I’m already grabbing my keys. Be there in five,” Glimmer replied.

After hanging up, Adora began to grab her things, including the drawings. She’d need everything to remind Catra of what happened. To remind Catra of their love.

She put some casual clothes on, grabbed her bag, and began to head out of her room. But before she could step out the front door…

“You plan on running away again?” Shadow Weaver asked, standing in her way. Adora had ran away from her lesson, but Shadow Weaver caught her again. But this time, Adora knew why Shadow Weaver was able to track her so well.

“I’m leaving. You can’t stop me,” Adora said, trying to push forward. But Shadow Weaver took a step towards her.

“I can and I will. I am everything you have. I am everything you will ever have,” Shadow Weaver declared. “If you sacrifice everything for this Catra… You will live to regret it. I do not want to have to open my door to see my daughter, homeless, begging for cash because she wasted her opportunity at a good life.”

“I don’t care _what_ you want,” Adora glared up at Shadow Weaver. “I’m sick of being underneath you. I am making my own choices. You don’t control me anymore.”

“Adora…” Shadow Weaver narrowed her eyes.

“Go ahead. Hit me. That’s what you want to do, right?” Adora asked, and it struck a nerve. Shadow Weaver tensed up, and Adora could see it. “I’m finding my own home. I’ve already got most of my things packed anyway.”

“I am your mother…”

“You were _never_ my mother,” Adora replied. “You may have given birth to me, but you are not my mother. And unless you change, you never will be. I found my family. You’re not a part of it.”

Adora and Shadow Weaver shared an intense glare for some time. But soon enough, Adora grabbed her phone. The one thing Shadow Weaver held over her. The only way she could find her. The tracking app installed on Adora’s phone.

And Adora threw her phone down, smashing it on the floor.

“You probably already know where I’m going. But tracking your own child… That’s not what a mother does,” Adora shook her head.

Shadow Weaver remained in silence, looking at the scattered pieces of the phone on the floor. “… So that’s it. I’ve lost you. You’ve given up, after all this,” Shadow Weaver said coldly.

“If that’s how you want to see it. If that helps you sleep at night,” Adora said, moving past Shadow Weaver and towards the door. This time last year, she never would’ve dreamt of doing anything like this. She never would’ve imagined herself standing up to her own mother.

But with the courage of Catra, the love from Glimmer, and the support from Catra’s family, albeit unintentional, Adora felt stronger than ever.

“I hope she’s worth it,” Shadow Weaver said as Adora opened the door. “I hope this Catra is worth all of this. I won’t follow you. You can waste away your life without my help. I look forward to seeing how long you last in this cruel world without me.”

Adora let those words hang in the air for some time. She let Shadow Weaver have the last word. But Adora didn’t give her the satisfaction of a response.

She closed the door on Shadow Weaver, and stepped towards the outside. She saw Glimmer in a small car, parked out the front of the apartment building.

Adora didn’t look back. She didn’t think on Shadow Weaver’s words anymore. She wasn’t going to let Shadow Weaver bring her down. Adora made her own choice, and whatever consequences that came would be of her own doing.

And so, Adora stepped forward.

* * *

“Catra? You awake?”

Catra looked out the window towards Solaris as the morning sun began to rise. For some reason, seeing the bright orange color in the sky gave her a weird sense of nostalgia. Like there was a memory that occurred not too long ago just the previous morning…

But slowly, she turned away to see Lonnie standing at the doorway to her bedroom. “Morning,” Catra smiled.

“Good morning to you, too,” Lonnie replied, carrying a plate of bacon and scrambled eggs, and a glass of orange juice. “I… I cooked you breakfast. It might not be the best, but…”

“It looks good,” Catra said. Lonnie placed everything on the bedside table. “Thanks.”

“I couldn’t sleep last night, so when the sun was rising, I thought… Well, why not look after you a bit?” Lonnie shrugged as she looked out to the window.

“What was keeping you up?” Catra asked as she grabbed her breakfast. Lonnie had done a great job, cooking bacon just the way Catra liked it: crispy.

“Just… Social media. Seeing what everyone is saying about us and Scorpia. I keep expecting all the hate and bigotry to blow up, but… More people are with us than against us,” Lonnie said, crossing her arms. “Of course, I’ve got a few people asking what bisexuality even is. And a few people who think you aren’t a lesbian just because you had a crush on some boy in elementary school.”

“God, I don’t even remember that guy’s name,” Catra chuckled. “I just thought he had cute hair.”

“Just… I can’t believe how lucky we are. I thought we’d be ruined because of this. I’ve seen so many horrible stories online…” Lonnie looked to the floor with a sad expression. “But… Now that we’re out, I guess we can bring more attention to the people who were outed and had worser experiences. Maybe set up a funding program in the town and get some donations coming their way.”

“You think Solaris would be up for something like that?” Catra asked.

“I think our generation is. The adults still think we’re living through a phase, but I’ve got plenty of people who want to support us. I just want to direct their attention to those who actually need it,” Lonnie said.

“That’s really good of you,” Catra smiled up at her. “I always liked that about you. How much you care for those who need it.”

“Thanks, Catra…” Lonnie smiled, blushing slightly as she scratched the back of her head. “You’re sweet.”

Catra smiled up at her a bit longer, but as she reached out to grab her glass of orange juice, she pushed her body a bit too far. She felt a sudden pain shoot up her side, and she instantly flinched. “Fuck…” Catra groaned in pain.

“Hey, hey, lay back. I can get that for you,” Lonnie instantly jumped to action, placing a firm hand on Catra’s shoulder and pushing her back, grabbing the glass of orange juice for her. “Still hurts, huh?”

“Yeah… It’s getting better though,” Catra admitted, grabbing the glass. “Hopefully you won’t have to nurse me for too long.”

“I like being your nurse,” Lonnie said. Catra chuckled as she took a sip of orange juice, but she soon noticed that as Lonnie spoke, she had reached out a hand and placed it atop Catra’s own.

The feeling was nice. Lonnie’s hand was warm and comforting. And slowly, Catra turned her hand to interlock her fingers with Lonnie’s. It was a sensation she used to love. And she still did. But something about it this time… It wasn’t quite right.

“… Hey,” Lonnie spoke up, and Catra made eye contact with her. “This… This isn’t in the way it used to be, but… I just want to tell you…”

Lonnie sighed, but she soon smiled again. “I love you, Catra.”

Catra felt a warm tingle through her heart at hearing those words for the first time in ages. She looked at their interlocked hands again. “… I love you too, Lonnie. I love you a lot.”

Lonnie rubbed her thumb over Catra’s palm, and she reached out her other hand to cup Catra’s cheek. In a swift movement, she leaned in and pressed a kiss against Catra’s right cheek. Both of their hearts fluttered at the intimacy.

But in Catra’s mind, she couldn’t help but imagine someone else laying this cheek kiss on her. Someone fuzzy, that she couldn’t quite recall.

Slowly, Catra took her hand away. She liked being close with Lonnie, but she wanted to stop there. At least for now.

“Give me a call if you need anything else,” Lonnie said, standing up and taking Catra’s dishes from her. “… Uh… Was that okay to do? The handholding and…”

“I liked it,” Catra admitted. “But… Let’s just keep it like that. For now. I don’t mind being close to you, just… as long as we keep it as friends.”

“That’s exactly how I want it too,” Lonnie replied. And Catra knew she was never one to bullshit her.

With that, Lonnie went back downstairs, leaving Catra with her thoughts. The thoughts of another person. Someone she wanted to share a kiss with. Someone she wanted to hold.

But she couldn’t remember this person.

* * *

It was around midday by the time Glimmer parked the car near the train station of Solaris.

Adora sat in the passenger seat, grabbing her things as she looked up to the town. The bright blue sky above, and the sun beaming down on it. “You wanna come with me?” Adora asked as she opened the passenger side door.

“Nah. This is between you and Catra,” Glimmer replied. Adora had been telling her all about Catra on the trip there. Though, obviously, Adora hadn’t revealed everything about the body swapping. “Just stay safe. I’ll be here.”

“Thanks,” Adora smiled. She pondered for a moment, but soon, a grin crept onto Adora’s face as she quickly leaned over and placed a kiss on Glimmer’s cheek. “I love you.”

Glimmer’s face instantly flushed red as Adora did that, and Adora could only chuckle. “You love to fuck with me, don’t you?” Glimmer giggled, running a hand over her own cheek. “I love you too.”

With that, Adora stepped out, closing the passenger door behind herself as she looked out to the town of Solaris. The beautiful sights. The people wandering back and forth. It was much more alive than it was in the early morning, and Adora liked it that way.

But she had a job to do. She quickly stepped forward, knowing the directions to Catra’s house from here.

As she walked, she was passed by familiar faces. Catra’s classmates, who gave her weird looks. Some adults, who were happy to see a new face in town. Adora knew them all, but they knew nothing about Adora.

It was one of the strangest, yet most beautiful, moments of Adora’s life. She had no one following her here. The town was peaceful. And although it was filled with confusion and some hatred, Adora knew most of the people her age would be on Catra’s side. And hers.

She arrived at Catra’s house quicker than last time. It seemed to be alive, with Catra’s family inside. She stepped onto the porch out front, and took a few deep breaths. This was it. Their first meeting without a time limit. There was still a challenge to face. But Adora had no rush.

She brought a knuckle up and tapped it against the door a few times.

She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She took a few more deep breaths as the door opened slowly to reveal Leah, her curious eyes looking down to Adora. “Um… Hi there,” Leah spoke.

“Hey,” Adora replied. In Adora’s mind, the sight of Leah filled her with warmth. Seeing such a caring mother that had actually been loving to her in the past, even unintentionally, made Adora feel so much joy. But in Leah’s mind, she had never seen this woman before.

“Who is it, love?” Cerata called out.

“I’m… not quite sure. I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before,” Leah replied to Cerata, turning to Adora.

“I’m from the city. My name is Adora. I’m… I’m a friend of Catra’s. A long-distance one,” Adora explained, though she could tell Leah’s eyes were full of doubt. “I was… hoping to see her.”

“I see…” Leah exchanged a worried look with Cerata. The two wives looked to each other for a few seconds. “Catra… has been going through a lot recently. We… We would prefer if you’d come back at another time. We’d like to speak with Catra about this.”

Adora felt her heart drop. She couldn’t wait to meet Catra, not now. She had no idea how long she’d remember Catra for. Her memories of Catra could vanish in an instant, but she couldn’t tell these two that. “Please… It would mean a lot if I could just see her,” Adora said.

Leah felt anguished at seeing Adora’s sad eyes. “You can stay nearby if you’d like, but… We can’t. Not right now. I’m sorry.”

Leah went to close the door on Adora, but just before she could…

“Wait!” Scorpia’s voice called out. Leah and Cerata both looked up to see Scorpia emerging downstairs. “You said you’re Catra’s long-distance friend?” Scorpia asked Adora.

“I… I am,” Adora nodded.

“Catra mentioned her. She really wanted to see her, she told me so. Don’t turn her away,” Scorpia stood up for Adora. In that moment, Adora wanted to hug Scorpia so bad. Leah and Cerata exchanged another glance.

But eventually, they gave in.

“Okay, Adora… You can come in. But just be careful. Catra is hurt at the moment and might need some rest. Give her time,” Leah said with a warm, motherly smile, opening the door for Adora.

“Thank you so much,” Adora put her hands together. She stepped in to look around the familiar house. To the right was the kitchen, where Adora had played board games with the family and laughed with them.

And to her left was the living room, with a small mattress on the floor. Lonnie sat by the table, her schoolbooks in front of her. She looked up to Adora.

“Hi,” Adora gave a small wave to Lonnie.

“… Hey there,” Lonnie returned, looking Adora up and down. There was an immense amount of history between them, and yet Lonnie would never know. It was like Adora had walked in on a dream come to life.

Adora headed towards the stairs, walking up them and towards the hallway of bedrooms. Catra’s was the first door on the left. Adora knew the layout of the house very well, despite this technically being her first time here.

She came to a stop outside the bedroom door.

Catra was in there. Likely in bed, likely not remembering a thing. But they had all the time they needed. Adora took a deep breath. She shouldn’t be able to forget Catra as long as they’re together.

She placed a hand on the door, and pushed it open.

Catra laid on the bed, her eyes gazing at the window to her right. But as she heard the door creak, she turned to look Adora in the eyes.

Adora felt her heart stop slightly. Catra’s different colored eyes looked at her yet again. Adora had to swallow down her nervousness and put on a smile as Catra’s curious eyes studied her.

“Hey… Catra,” Adora waved.

And yet, Catra could only return with a distant gaze. Adora was a stranger. Nothing more. All of those memories of their times lost, like tears in rain. But Adora could rescue them. She could bring Catra back.

Adora could only wonder how, and if, she could get Catra to remember.


	11. Don't You (Forget About Me)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora tries to get Catra to remember everything.

“… I’m sorry, I… I don’t think I know you.”

Catra looked at the strange woman before her, trying to reach into her own memory to find out whether she had seen her before. But she was having no such luck. This ‘Adora’ was a complete stranger in her eyes.

“Right…” Adora nodded, looking at the floor sadly, before taking a deep breath and looking up towards Catra with a smile. “Well… Memory can be finnicky like that. But you do know me. I promise.”

“Are you saying you know my memory better than I do?” Catra asked, narrowing her eyebrows slightly. In a way, ‘yes’ was almost a correct answer, but it was an answer Catra clearly wouldn’t like.

“I’m just saying we _have_ met before. It wasn’t too long ago. But… Well, don’t you feel like there are bits and pieces of your life just… missing from your memory at the moment?” Adora asked. She remembered the feeling of being lost and dazed. Perhaps Catra was the same.

“Isn’t that how all memory is? We don’t remember every detail of our lives,” Catra countered. Adora could only respond with a quiet sigh. This wasn’t going to be easy.

“Yes… But I’m not just someone you saw once twelve years ago. Catra…” Adora was struggling for the right words to say that didn’t make her sound insane. But without explaining everything, this was never going to work.

“… I heard you downstairs. You said you were from the city?” Catra asked, trying to shift towards something normal. Adora had to go along.

“I am. I’ve lived there all my life,” Adora replied.

“Can’t say I’m envious. That place just looks cramped. I don’t think I’ll ever go,” Catra said, looking out the window towards her small town. Adora felt her heart drop slightly, but she had to push forward.

“I mean, there’s crowded parts, yes. But… I think it’s beautiful. Especially at night with all the lights and…” Adora tried to continue.

“Getting to school would be a nightmare. How do you have time to just stop and look at the lights? What’s the point? Don’t you have study to do?” Catra asked. Adora felt like she was talking to an entirely different person. Catra cared about her study, but prioritizing it above all else was unlike her.

“Well… I believe the saying goes that ‘life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans’. Sometimes you just have to stop and smell the roses every now and then. The place I live in might not be the nicest or friendliest, but I try to look for beauty wherever I go,” Adora shrugged, trying to smile through this. But Catra continued to look at her like she had a third eye.

“I never understood that quote. Should we just never make plans? Just always stop and look at the sights? Is that all we’re made for?” Catra asked, looking down at her notebooks. “It must be nice to be able to ‘appreciate life’, but I don’t exactly have time for it.”

Adora’s heart was hurting. She looked out Catra’s window towards the town of Solaris. It was a beautiful day, with a bright blue sky awaiting the two of them.

“… Say, do you want to go for a short walk around town? I know you’re not in the best state, but maybe it might do you some good?” Adora suggested. Along with taking care of Catra, a walk-and-talk might help jog some memory.

Catra looked at her notebooks for some time, wanting to turn Adora away. But soon, she sighed. “Fine. But only a short one,” Catra replied, closing up her notes and putting them to the side.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed, but immediately cringed at the pain in her side. Adora was quick to help, walking over and wrapping an arm around Catra’s shoulder to help her up to her feet.

She had been in Catra’s body. She knew her pain.

Slowly, Catra took a step. She winced at it, but Adora held her up. Another step. Another shot of pain. But Adora didn’t let go.

“… I think I can do this on my own,” Catra said, taking her arm away from Adora and taking some cautious, limping steps on her own. Adora still watched close, walking behind Catra, ready to catch her at any moment if need be.

Once she made the slow trip down the steps, Adora and Catra looked up to see her family. “We’re heading out for a small walk. I… think she might need it,” Adora explained.

“Now hold on…” Cerata tried to speak up, but Leah placed her hand on her wife’s shoulder.

“Just take care of yourself, Catra. Call if you need us,” Leah smiled, though Cerata was less inclined to give her support.

“You gonna be okay?” Lonnie spoke up as Catra walked towards the door.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine,” Catra smiled at Lonnie as she opened the door, Adora following close behind.

The first hit of the warm, Solaris air was a nice change from the cooled house that Catra lived in. Though Catra was more interested in getting her body back to a functioning state. There were a few people out, though it was mostly everyone returning home from school as the sun slowly began to set. Catra looked at everyone passing by with suspicious eyes.

“… We don’t have to stay out here if you don’t want to,” Adora said to Catra.

“It… It’s fine. Let’s just go this way,” Catra nodded towards the path away from school with less people. She slowly got the hang of walking as she stepped down off the porch and onto the dirt road, Adora close behind.

Adora looked out towards the lake as she walked. Being in Solaris in her own body still felt like a dream. The air felt different on her own skin. It was like returning from a long, long trip to her true home, even though she’d technically never been here before.

She turned to look to Catra, who was getting into the swing of things, almost keeping pace with Adora. “So… What’re your hobbies?” Adora asked. She remembered forgetting everything about drawing in this state. Perhaps the same might’ve happened to Catra.

“Hobbies?” Catra looked to Adora. “I wish I had time for hobbies. I don’t get much free time to do anything, so I just mostly study and prep for exams. I mean… I _used_ to do music, but that was just some stupid thing.”

“… I don’t think that’s stupid,” Adora replied, trying to hide the sting in her heart. “Music can be a wonderful thing. I play piano sometimes. Though, I mostly like to draw.”

“Must be nice,” Catra chuckled, looking to the sky. “Having free time to do that stuff.”

“Well… I mean, I don’t necessarily have a bunch of free time. I have study too. But sometimes… I just want to do something that makes me happy,” Adora said. “Don’t you want to be happy as well?”

“Of course I do. What person doesn’t want to be happy? And I will be in the future. But right now, in this moment, I need to work hard in order to _earn_ that happiness. I haven’t done anything to deserve it right now,” Catra said as if it was the most casual thing ever. “You’ve got a knack for asking really personal questions, huh?”

“Does it bother you?” Adora asked.

“Kinda,” Catra replied. “Lonnie and I used to have long talks about happiness and the future and whatever… God, they were so dumb. I guess youth does that to you; makes you think you’re so much smarter than everyone else just because you ask simple questions like ‘what is happiness?’”

Adora wanted to counter that with Catra’s own words. Catra loved those talks with Lonnie. Those late night phone calls she had with Adora. She never saw them as pretentious or meaningless. Or at least, she used to think that way.

“Well… I don’t think there’s anything wrong with talking about stuff like that,” Adora mumbled, but Catra didn’t grant her a response. Slowly, she took a right turn and headed towards a railing, where she could see a view of the lake and the sunset.

“Just need to rest for a minute,” Catra said as she took a moment to look at the view. Adora walked up beside her. Despite her words, Catra stared at the sunset with wide eyes, almost appreciating it. Like there was still a piece of her left…

Adora put her hands on the railing. “… Say. Catra. Have you had… any weird dreams lately?” Adora asked.

“Isn’t every dream weird?” Catra asked.

“Yeah, but like… Well… Dreams about waking up in someone’s body…?” Adora asked. Instantly, Catra gave her a confused expression. Adora continued. “Dreams about… being in the city and experiencing someone’s life. Dreams about meeting a girl named Glimmer and asking her out on a date. Dreams about…” Adora looked at the floor. “Dreams about waking up in… my body?”

Catra’s eyes widened slightly, and yet her eyebrows were still narrowed. She looked at Adora like she was completely insane. “I don’t even know who you are. Why would I dream about waking up in your body?”

“Because I’ve… I’ve dreamt about waking up in yours,” Adora said. She could see Catra take a step back. “I’m not kidding. I’ve been here before in your body. How do you think I know the way around so well? Why do you think I know the name of you and everyone in your family? Why…”

“Have you been stalking me?” Catra asked, almost horrified.

“What…? No! No, Catra, I haven’t! It’s not something I can control!” Adora explained, but Catra was simply taking more steps away.

“Look, whatever you came here for, just say it. Do you want my money?” Catra asked, looking at the stranger before her.

“No!” Adora shook her head.

“Is this some show of power? Are you trying to intimidate me?!” Catra accused Adora, her eyes filled with anger.

“I’m not a stalker! I’m not doing anything like that!” Adora replied.

“Then why…”

“Because I just want you to remember who I am!”

The words came from Adora like a strangled scream, and Catra could see tears welling in her eyes. Adora’s eyes were full of complete, genuine pain. And Catra had no idea what she had done wrong. Why was Adora hurting so much?

“Don’t you remember the sunrise yesterday? Why you were atop the mountain?” Adora asked, her voice slowly breaking as her emotions got the best of her. “You were there to meet me. To see me for the first time. And… you told me you loved me. You wrote it on my palm.”

“I…” Catra wanted to run away. Whatever Adora was saying sounded crazy, but the genuine hurt and desperation in her voice was getting to Catra. She had never seen someone so desperate for anything in her life.

“I forgot everything too. But I was able to remember it all. Our body swaps… Our phone calls… Our song…” Adora listed everything, but slowly, her eyes widened.

The song.

That was it.

Adora quickly took Catra’s hand. “H… Hey! What are you doing?!” Catra asked as Adora began to jog her back home, dragging Catra along with her. Surprisingly enough, Catra’s body was no longer aching as she ran behind Adora.

“I need to show you something! I promise, you’ll remember everything after this!” Adora said, a smile on her face as she ran towards Catra’s home, holding her hand the whole way there. The song had to be it. After all, it was music, the piano, that saved Adora’s memory.

Adora held onto hope that this song would save their love.

* * *

Adora burst into the studio with Catra close behind her. The room was filled with dust. The sunset streamed in from one window, filling the room with a deep, orange glow.

Quickly, Adora went over to the computer, booting it up. “What’re you trying to do?” Catra asked, looking at all the instruments in the room with confusion.

“We made a song together. You and I. It might help jog your memory,” Adora said frantically as she opened Catra’s music account. She scrolled to the most popular song on Catra’s account, and wasted no time as she quickly began to play it.

Catra heard a nice piano melody being played alongside an acoustic guitar. Adora looked at her with a wide smile. “That… That’s me on the piano,” Adora said. “And you’re on the guitar. And…” Adora waited for a few seconds until the first words of the song began to sound. “That’s me! I’m singing! Remember? You called me late at night and I went to the hall and recorded those for you!”

Catra looked to Adora with a concerned stare, but slowly, she closed her eyes. She took in the music, the drums, the guitar, the piano and the lovely voice Adora had. Adora smile at her, waiting for the second Catra would remember everything.

But when the chorus hit, Catra’s eyes slowly opened.

Adora smiled. She saw Catra begin to stare at her. She waited for those words. Waited for her to remember.

“… It’s a good song, I guess. You’ve got a nice voice.”

Adora looked at Catra for a few seconds with a blank stare. “And… And do you remember making it?” Adora asked, still trying to smile.

But Catra shook her head.

“The lyrics just sound… cheesy,” Catra chuckled, laughing at her own music. Adora’s smile faded as she heard those words. They both worked so hard on it, and Catra was so proud of it.

Was.

“I…” Adora looked around the room, before holding up a hand. “Wait here,” she said, jogging out of the room momentarily.

Catra was left with her thoughts. This song was posted to her account recently, but she didn’t remember a single second of it. That wasn’t just weird, it was completely alien. Something like that just wasn’t possible.

Maybe Adora had a point. But how could Catra remember something she had forgotten? Even if Adora was right, what then?

“Here!” Adora burst in with a bag of supplies. She placed it on a seat, reaching in and pulling out a piece of paper. She turned to face Catra, showing off a portrait she drew. “Recognize this girl? Her name’s Glimmer!”

Catra squinted her eyes, looking at the drawing of a smiling woman. But nothing came to mind. “She… looks nice,” Catra complimented.

“You asked her out on a date when you were in my body! It was hilarious!” Adora chuckled, doing her best to smile through the absolutely agony swallowing her heart. “And you even figured out that she had a crush on me in like, a week!”

“… Oh,” Catra spoke quietly. Adora’s chuckles and smiles were almost growing uncomfortable to look at. She could tell that Adora was hurting.

“You don’t remember… That’s okay! Um…” Adora reached in, shifting away the paper to grab another drawing. This time, it was a landscape of the city. “This is the view from my bedroom window! See, there’s the café, and there’s a place I like to get takeaway from, and… and you can see the museum in the distance! That’s where Glimmer and I went on our date.”

“I see…” Catra replied. And yet, nothing came to her. She put on a polite smile, but Adora could tell it was doing nothing.

“T… That’s alright, too! It’s a pretty obscure view. Let’s see…” Adora reached into her bag, throwing pieces of paper from the bag and onto the floor. Her hands were beginning to shake. Catra almost wanted to hold them.

“Adora, I appreciate you trying, but…” Catra tried to stop her.

“This is Shadow Weaver!” Adora pulled out another portrait. “This drawing isn’t really good but… She was my mother. She was really horrible to me.”

“Oh… I’m sorry to hear…”

“You don’t remember her?” Adora asked, cutting Catra off from even expressing her empathy. Catra’s eyes were slowly filling with sadness as she shook her head. “That’s fine. These drawings aren’t good at all, aren’t they?”

“That’s not…”

“Let me do some more. Hold on,” Adora spoke. She grabbed a blank piece of paper, stealing a pen from Catra’s desk as she quickly started to sketch another landscape, crudely putting the lines down and barely bothering to take her time with it.

“Adora…” Catra spoke quietly.

“Do you recognize this?” Adora held up another landscape. Catra could barely make it out. “It’s the train station! You tried to meet up with me but it didn’t work out. But then we met atop the mountain and we were really happy!”

“I…” Catra choked.

“I would show you actual pictures of all this, but Shadow Weaver was tracking my phone so I had to destroy it,” Adora explained casually, and Catra widened her eyes.

“She… She what…?”

“Hold on, I can do a better one!” Adora grabbed another piece of paper, going to sketch another portrait. Catra looked at her smiling face. Her bright eyes. But underneath it all was pure and utter desperation.

“You don’t…” Catra placed a hand on Adora’s shoulder.

“Here! This is another friend of mine! His name is Bow!” Adora held up a sketch she had done in less than a minute. It wasn’t even human. It was crude shapes and lines. Adora’s hands were shaking as she held the paper up to Catra. “Do you know his name?”

“Why are you doing this…?” Catra asked.

“To help you! Because you _have_ to remember me! You’re going to remember me!” Adora said, throwing away the rough sketch and grabbing another piece of paper.

“But what if I don’t?” Catra spoke up.

“You’re going to! If I remembered, so can you,” Adora replied.

“Adora…”

“Hold on, let me just…”

“Adora, wait,” Catra spoke louder.

“Once I get this down, you’ll remember. You’ll…”

“ _Adora._ ”

A firm hand was placed over Adora’s wrist, stopping her from sketching. Adora’s entire body froze as Catra held her wrist and spoke her name firmly. The sketch was barely even legible.

Adora’s smile faded as she fell into silence. She held the pen in her hand, she wanted to fight harder.

But slowly, a tear slid down Adora’s cheek, and dropped onto the paper, staining it.

“… You won’t remember me,” Adora spoke quietly. She looked Catra in the eye. “Won’t you?”

“I want to… But…” Catra’s eyes were filled with pain as she took her hand away. She looked at the paper surrounding the studio. Adora’s tears. She felt her own throat tighten and her heart grow heavy. “I’m sorry…”

“It’s not your fault,” Adora sniffled. She wiped her cheek with her palm, but more tears came. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I was dumb to think I could have anything good last in my life.”

“Adora…” Catra whispered, but Adora stood up.

“I’m sorry for the mess. I’ll clean it up,” Adora spoke, her voice almost completely dead as she began to pick up pieces of paper thrown about the room. Catra was left kneeling by the desk, looking at Adora with misery.

Catra felt horrible. It wasn’t her fault, but at the same time, she felt like she could’ve done better. Like she could’ve really remembered if she tried harder. Adora placed the paper in her bag, moving like a dull robot.

“I’m sorry for bothering you. I’ll go now. You have study you need to get to,” Adora said, smiling sadly at Catra. “Can you tell your parents I said thanks? I really appreciate them letting me talk to you.”

“I will,” Catra nodded. “… I’m… I’m really sorry…”

“Catra,” Adora spoke firmly. “It’s not your fault. I don’t know why this happened, but… I don’t blame you one bit. I just… wish things were different,” Adora looked at the floor. “… You were my star.”

Catra swallowed down the emotion upon hearing that nickname. So much history, completely wiped. “I… I guess this is goodbye,” Catra said. Adora’s eyes squinted in pain, but she looked up and nodded.

“Yeah.”

Slowly, Adora took a few steps towards Catra. She looked down at her partner. The woman she swapped bodies with. The woman she had all those late night phone calls with. The woman she confessed her love to. The woman she sacrificed everything for.

And Catra looked back at someone she had only known for twenty minutes.

Slowly, Adora leaned forward. She placed a hand on Catra’s shoulder, and without really thinking, she laid a gentle kiss on Catra’s forehead. It was short, soft and mostly out of nowhere. But Adora felt as if she needed to do it.

Catra’s eyes widened slightly as she received the kiss. Adora took her lips away, her hand dropping from Catra’s shoulder as she avoided eye contact. The pain in her heart was swallowing her whole.

She turned around after giving Catra her final regards. And she slowly made her way to the door.

“… Wait.”

Adora felt Catra grab her hand.

Adora turned around, expecting to see Catra looking up at her with those sad eyes. She expected to see Catra with pain on her face, or perhaps another apology.

But when Adora turned to face Catra, she saw that her eyes were wide with shock.

Catra looked Adora up and down. Her breath was shaking slightly, and her words caught in her throat for some time. Her hand trembled around Adora’s, but eventually, through a miracle, Catra spoke up.

“… Adora? Is… Is that you?”

Silence.

Adora’s entire world froze. She felt her entire body grow cold with shivers. “Catra…?” Adora whispered.

Catra placed a hand on Adora’s arm. Her bicep. Her shoulder. And eventually, her cheek. Her breath grew from quiet sighs to heavy pants, and slowly, a wide smile filled Catra’s face as she cupped Adora’s cheeks with her hands.

“Adora… Adora…!” Catra chuckled, looking her love in the eyes.

“Adora, I… I remember. Adora, I remember! I remember _everything!_ ”

Adora’s eyes widened. For a few seconds, she thought Catra was screwing with her, or perhaps faking it. But when she looked into those heterochromatic eyes…

She saw pure and utter joy.

“You remember? You really remember?!” Adora asked, taking Catra’s hands with her own. “When we were atop the mountain…?”

“Shadow Weaver found us, and you protected me, and then we were above the clouds, and you took my hand and… you told me you loved me!” Catra listed it all off perfectly. “Adora…! You came back! You really came back!”

“Of course I did!” Adora immediately wrapped her arms around Catra’s shoulders, bursting into sobbing laughs as tears began to stream endlessly down her cheeks, her heart racing. “I’ll always come back for you!”

“Adora…!” Catra gritted her teeth and returned the hug immediately, putting a hand on the back of Adora’s head and holding her close.

It was the kiss against her forehead that almost lit off a spark in her mind, and everything flooded back at once. Glimmer, the city, the date, the mountain, the stars they fell from as they confessed their love. Catra’s mind suddenly remembered it all.

“I love you…” Adora spoke quietly as she held Catra close. She pulled back slightly, cupping Catra’s cheeks in her hands. “Catra, I… I love you. I love you. I love you.”

Catra looked into Adora’s eyes. The desperation within them. She didn’t want to lose her all over again. And Catra never wanted to let go.

So she didn’t return with those three words. She didn’t return with any words.

Instead, Catra almost leapt forward, and pressed her lips to Adora’s in the most desperate, heartfelt, loving kiss of her entire life.

Adora didn’t waste a second to return the kiss, tears streaming down her smiling cheeks as she ran a hand over Catra’s cheek, closing her eyes and sinking into the kiss as she tilted her head.

Catra’s fingers raked through Adora’s golden hair, never wanting to let go for even a second as she felt Adora’s lips against her own. She could feel Adora’s smile in the kiss, and she returned with her own. Not a care in the world at who saw or who judged.

But eventually, Adora had to pull away from the kiss, keeping her forehead pressed against Catra’s as she giggled. “I love you too…” Catra replied, a loving smile on her face. “And I’m _never_ going to leave you again. I promise.”

Adora’s smile only grew wider. It was the most beautiful smile Catra had ever seen, one that expressed every ounce of happiness Adora felt. “I never thought I’d be allowed to be this happy…” Adora said, her voice shaking slightly as she kept her body close with Catra’s.

“I love you…” Catra whispered, her face inches away from Adora’s as they both smiled, closing their eyes and taking in the presence of their love.

It was the happiest they had been in so long. They couldn’t stop their occasional bursts of giggles, or the sudden kisses that came from nowhere. They wanted to be this close forever. They wanted this love for all of time.

Throughout the impossible odds, they had finally found each other.

And found their love once more.

* * *

The singing crickets served as music for Adora and Catra’s first date.

Well, ‘date’ was a generous term.

The two of them were still at Solaris after the sun had gone down. Adora and Catra were quick to tell her family about their relationship, which was a genuine shock to her moms.

Scorpia was overwhelmingly happy on the other hand, and Lonnie was just envious that Catra had found a partner before she could. But overall, Catra’s family seemed approving of Adora, despite some confusion of how they met.

And for the first time in her life, Adora had a happy dinner with a family she loved and cherished, whilst she was in her own body. She even invited Glimmer along to the dinner and introduced her to everyone.

“I think it’s safe to say Glimmer found you incredibly cute,” Adora smiled as she walked hand-in-hand with Catra through the dimly lit streets of Solaris. “So you’ll be coming along on our next date. Just the three of us to a movie or something.”

“Hey, I’m down for that. I think Glimmer’s cute as well,” Catra shrugged as she led Adora off the path and towards a grassy hill. The same hill Adora and Lonnie had their first talk at during the festival so many weeks ago.

“Cuter than me?” Adora asked with a smirk.

“Totally,” Catra teased. She took a seat on the grassy hill, Adora sitting next to her as she looked up to the star-filled sky of Solaris. “… If you’re actually hinting that we have a relationship with Glimmer as well, I’m… on the fence about that one.”

“Oh, I was just teasing. I mean… How do you feel about her? Cause… I love her, but she’s still a friend in my eyes. Just a really close one,” Adora said, her hand still within Catra’s.

“I mean… It’s kinda weird? I’ve technically never met her before, so… You know, it might just be odd. I _do_ actually love her. We’ll see how we go, but I definitely wouldn’t be _against_ the idea of being with Glimmer as well,” Catra shrugged. “Wait and see, I guess?”

“Wait and see,” Adora smiled, leaning her head on Catra’s shoulder as they both looked towards the stars.

The speckled lights that filled the dark skies. They went on endlessly, a whole galaxy sprawled out before them. Full of life and stories.

“… I remember seeing a shooting star all that time ago. I never thought wishing on it would do anything, but…” Adora chuckled. “I guess the universe had other plans.”

“You think we’ll ever find answers for how we were able to do… all that?” Catra asked.

“Well… I don’t know. Would it make you happier if we did?” Adora asked, her hair resting on Catra’s neck. It felt like silk, and so incredibly smooth as Catra ran her hand through it.

“I’d probably feel the same. I’m just glad I still have you. Some mysteries… Well, they don’t need to be solved if you’re already happy without knowing the answers to them,” Catra said. Adora giggled slightly.

“I love hearing you talk like that,” Adora said.

“Like what?” Catra raised an eyebrow as she grinned down at Adora.

“All deep and such. Like it comes from the heart,” Adora said, smiling up at Catra. “I love knowing what goes on in that head of yours.”

“Apart from all the gay panic?” Catra asked, and Adora laughed, cuddling up to Catra closer. She leaned down, placing a gentle kiss atop Adora’s head. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Adora replied, feeling tingles in her body from the kiss.

There was nothing but the crickets and wind around them for some time, but the warmth they shared was worth every single second of struggle they had to push through to achieve this.

Both of them would’ve preferred an easier way to find their love, but sometimes, life had different plans. All they could do was roll with the punches, and choose love. Choose each other.

“There they are!” Adora and Catra heard Scorpia’s voice speak up, and the couple looked to see Scorpia, Lonnie and Glimmer on the path as well.

“Those three are getting along,” Adora pointed out as they all ascended the hill to be with Adora and Catra.

As the trio came to join them, Glimmer sat to the left of Adora, whilst Lonnie and Scorpia sat to the right of Catra. “What’ve you two been up to out here? Apart from all the smooching,” Lonnie asked with a laugh as Catra wrapped her arm tighter around Adora.

“Just talking about how Adora is a better girlfriend than you,” Catra teased Lonnie, and she received a gentle punch in the arm from her ex-girlfriend as the two of them giggled at the teasing.

“Oh yeah? And does Adora bring you breakfast in bed when you’re feeling down?” Lonnie asked, her eyes looking to Adora for some time.

“Trust me, you do _not_ want Adora to cook your breakfast for you. She did it for me once but she overcooked the hell out of the eggs. She hates a runny yolk,” Glimmer spoke up.

“You _hate_ runny yolk?!” Scorpia asked as three sets of shocked eyes went towards Adora. “That’s the best part of a fried egg!”

“But it’s slimy!” Adora almost gagged. “How can any of you like that stuff?”

“I think we’re gonna leave the cooking to me,” Catra said with a teasing smirk. Adora gave Catra an annoyed look, but it soon broke down into more giggles as she looked at the smirk she loved so much.

The five of them felt nothing but happiness. A love for each other, though some relationships were still starting from scratch. But as they looked up to the stars, they knew they all had each other. Whatever history there may be between them, they had each other’s backs.

And for Adora and Catra, after all the struggles, the angst, the sorrow…

They finally had each other.

It was the happiest day of their lives.


	12. When I Opened My Eyes, I Was Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One year after the strange events, Adora and Catra step towards their future.

It took a while to get used to a new bed, but Glimmer loved how soft it felt beneath her.

She slowly awoke to an entirely new room, with new walls, new carpet and a new window. The new apartment she lived in was one that took a while for her, Adora and Catra to pick out, but she was ultimately happy with the choice they all made.

Glimmer awoke to the sound of the shower running in the bathroom, which was right next to the bedroom. Adora always loved to wake up early, but Glimmer was fond of sleeping in just a bit.

Though today was no day for sleeping in.

Glimmer stretched her arms above her head and reached out for her phone, seeing a few notifications from the group chat she had with Lonnie and Scorpia. Those two were always active late at night. Glimmer could barely keep up with them nowadays.

However, a few notifications were fairly recent.

‘You’re going to take care of my sister in that big, scary city, right?’ Scorpia had sent to Glimmer. It gave her a gentle smile.

‘I think she can take care of herself,’ Glimmer typed back. ‘But yes, Adora and I will do our best to make sure she doesn’t get into any trouble.’

‘You’ll have your hands full,’ Lonnie teased. ‘She hasn’t stopped talking about the move all week. It’s like she’s excited to get away from us!’

‘Hey, I know she loves you two,’ Glimmer replied. ‘But she’s always dreamt of being in the city. Don’t worry, I’m sure she’ll visit Solaris from time to time.’

‘She better! She made our moms cry when she left this morning!’ Scorpia said, a crying emoji sent along with the message. ‘I can’t believe it’s already her one-year anniversary with Adora.’

‘Time flies, huh?’ Glimmer asked. ‘Adora has been freaking out about what present to get her all week.’

‘What’d she decide on?’ Lonnie asked.

‘I don’t quite get it, but… it was a necklace of a shooting star,’ Glimmer explained. ‘She said Catra would understand.’

“Glimmer? You up?” Adora called out as the shower cut in the bathroom.

“Yeah,” Glimmer called back. “I’m just gonna get dressed and then we can leave for the train station. How far away is Catra?”

“About half an hour,” Adora said.

With that, Glimmer put her phone back on the table and swung her legs over the side of the bed. As she stood up, she went over to the window, pulling open the curtain to reveal the sights of the city before her.

A year ago, she was in a house with her family. A year ago, she had driven Adora all the way to Solaris and met her new friends, Scorpia, Lonnie and Catra. And a year ago, Adora and Catra shared their first kiss.

Their love hadn’t faltered one bit in that time since then. Both Catra and Adora were the happiest they had been. And as the future approached, it was time for independence. Growth. Change.

Adora was quick to move away from her mother and opted to live with Glimmer for a while. She wanted to move into Solaris with Catra, but it turns out Catra preferred Adora staying in the city. After all, Catra would catch up with her soon.

But in between all their planning, Glimmer had been growing much closer to both Adora and Catra. It wasn’t entirely on purpose, but Glimmer was invited on the occasional date, and she remembered one night in Solaris when all three of them cuddled in bed.

Glimmer was afraid of intruding on something special between Adora and Catra, but both of them were happy to accept Glimmer into their lives, and eventually, into their new home.

Glimmer found herself smiling a lot more these days.

And now, after late-night calls and meticulous planning, Adora, Catra and Glimmer had pooled together enough funds to afford their own little apartment in the same city Adora had grown up in. Adora had taken a gap year after graduating high school in order to work a few jobs and gather as much funding as possible.

And on occasion, Catra sent over funds in order to ‘pay back money she had stolen’, according to Adora. 

Despite taking a year off from schooling, Adora made sure to put herself out to as many art academies as possible, hoping to be accepted into a course containing art and drawing. Adora was happy just being accepted anywhere that would take her in and let her flex her creativity.

She was accepted into her first pick.

As Glimmer got out of her pyjamas and changed into some casual wear, she played some music from her speaker. Specifically, the new music album Catra released a month ago, with some Adora cameos thrown into a few songs. They often did a duet together, and when they sung in harmony, it was like angels to Glimmer’s ears.

Catra’s popularity was still little, but the small fanbase she had was loyal, kind and loving. And she found herself preferring that much more than any stardom she could’ve found.

As Glimmer put on some denim shorts, a pink shirt and a shredded denim jacket, she saw Adora emerge from the bathroom in her own wear of a varsity jacket and denim jeans. “You look good today,” Glimmer smiled.

“Says you,” Adora chuckled, strolling over to Glimmer and putting a gentle hand on the back of her head as she gave Glimmer a quick kiss on her forehead. “I could barely sleep last night, I was so excited.”

“You kept me up with your tossing and turning,” Glimmer scoffed.

“Sorry… I just… I’m so damn happy. To have Catra here, living with us. And we’ll all be able to go to school together!” Adora practically cheered. Her smile was infectious. Glimmer loved seeing it. The way her cheeks almost puffed when her lips curved upwards.

“I haven’t seen Catra in a couple of months myself, so I’m excited too,” Glimmer said. “College has been kicking my ass and I need the support. I’m excited to give you and Catra a tour of the campus. We’ll have to plan our timetables around each other so we can catch up.”

“I can’t believe Catra was accepted in less than two days, but it took them weeks to process my request,” Adora moped, though it was mostly sarcastic.

“Well, with the marks Catra has, I think _any_ place would’ve accepted her,” Glimmer pointed out.

“Catra showed you her marks? I’ve never seen them…” Adora sighed.

“She doesn’t show them to you because she thinks you’d get envious,” Glimmer admitted. Adora’s eyes widened, an almost offended look on her face as Glimmer could only snicker.

“That little… I… How could she… Agh, I’m tickling her when she gets here!” Adora stuttered out of frustration as Glimmer could only laugh. Adora eventually had to sigh her frustration away, but she smiled at the thought of Catra in tickle hell later.

Plus. Glimmer’s laughter always made her heart feel warm.

“Anyway… You about ready to go?” Adora asked. “You’re driving.”

“And you’re paying for lunch on the way back,” Glimmer smirked. She headed out the door of the bedroom, going through the sparkling clean kitchen and out the front door. Adora and Glimmer had only been living here a week.

The bedroom linked to the living room, with a small kitchen off to the side. A TV was also placed in the living room, and surrounding the walls were large windows showing off the city. The apartment was relatively high up, and the view was gorgeous when the sun was setting.

Adora and Glimmer always looked out towards the direction of Solaris from the balcony when the sun was setting. Glimmer’s head leaning on Adora’s shoulder. Dreams of their life with Catra, now all coming true.

This place felt more like home than the apartment Adora had grown up in.

Adora hadn’t spoken to Shadow Weaver in a year. She never wanted to. She was barely a thought in her mind these days. Adora found her family, and had even accidentally called Leah ‘mom’ at one point, which Catra was kind enough to remind her of at least twice a week.

The apartment was entirely clean. There were still a few boxes around, and Catra’s things would have to be organized as well. No doubt the first few hours back home would be dedicated to unpacking and organizing.

But Adora smiled. She smiled at her life. She smiled at the weather. The beautiful things around her in that exact moment.

And eventually, she took a step towards the front door.

* * *

‘And make sure you drink plenty of water! And brush your teeth! And look good on your first day at college! And check in as much as you can!’

As she took the train to the city, Catra read through the long, long text she had received from her moms, listing off ways to take care of herself, ways to wash her clothes, ways to do the dishes, survival techniques and an odd description on how to perform CPR.

She had a smile on her face the whole time, almost finding amusement in how worried they were about their twenty year old ‘baby girl’.

But she also smiled at how much loved they showed for her. Catra almost teared up as she hugged her moms goodbye at the train station, and she gave Scorpia and Lonnie the tightest hug she could as well.

It wasn’t goodbye though. It was ‘see you later’. No doubt Lonnie would be moving to the city soon as well. It wouldn’t feel right for her to stay in Solaris. And Scorpia would miss her sister soon enough anyway.

Catra texted back a word of thanks to her moms, before switching apps to her photos from the last year. The few times she had been able to meet up with Adora during the last year had been full of bliss. She had photos of their theme park date, their beach date, and their date atop Mt. Riverholm.

But now it was permanent. No more meet-ups. She was moving in with Adora and Glimmer. She looked up and out the window, and saw the scenery of the city flying by. The train was nearly there.

A new home. A new college. A new place. New people.

A lot had changed over the last year. She hadn’t swapped with Adora ever since, and any weirdness with dreams or markings hadn’t occurred. Every now and then she tried to research it, tried to find answers, but she had never found a solid conclusion. She likely never would.

But instead, Catra had found the love of her life. She had found what she wished for on the night with the shooting star. However the universe worked, she felt almost thankful. Even if it was a struggle to get to this point.

When she looked to the sky, she knew she was looking at the same sky as Adora. She knew Adora was on her way to the station, Glimmer driving her there. Catra’s heart was pounding with excitement. Joy. Love. Happiness.

Perhaps too much happiness. She remembered the joy she felt the first time coming to the city, that ultimately resulted in her missing Adora by a few seconds. The struggles they endured were ones she never wanted to experience again. She still felt like all of this was too good for her. Like some catch would come along.

But life had a weird way of working.

Perhaps more hardships were to come. Perhaps more struggles would occur. Perhaps more tears would be shed.

But she also knew that there was always light. That for every moment she cried, she would also have a moment where she’d laugh. For every time she doubted herself and her music, she’d have one loyal supporter there with kind words and love.

She didn’t quite know the future. She didn’t quite know what would occur. She didn’t quite know the happiness, sadness, anger, guilt, passion, love, and beauty she’d endure. She didn’t really know anything of what would come next in life.

“Now arriving… Please make sure you have your personal belongings with you before leaving the train.”

Catra looked up as the train doors opened, and she was instantly able to spot Adora and Glimmer waiting on the platform. The smiles that came to their faces as they saw Catra was a sight she’d never forget.

She grabbed her bag from the seat and headed for the doors. She pushed through people, until she stood right in front of the open doors, bag in hand.

One more step.

One more step and she’d be on the station. One more step and she’d be in their arms. One more step and she’d be at peace. One more step towards her future.

Catra didn’t know what life was going to throw at her next. Adora didn’t know either. Nor did Glimmer, nor Lonnie, nor Scorpia. There was no telling of the future.

But they all knew one thing.

Whatever would come, they were going to live every moment to the fullest. Take in the sights. The sounds. The beauty of this world. This life. The little things that made it all worth it in the end.

And with a soft smile on her face…

Catra took a step forward.

* * *

_The End._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I have to thank you all.
> 
> I went through some extremely tough times writing this story after losing a close relative. But throughout it all, your undying support has meant the world to me. It's kept me going and made all of this worth it. This journey was an expression of my fear of the future, but ultimately, my comfort at wherever life took me. Because right now, I feel happy. And I want to carry that with me wherever I go.
> 
> And as always, I do have more stories in planning. But with classes beginning soon, my upload schedule is going to slow down immensely. My next story is planned to be an Infinity Train AU involving Catra and Adora, which I'm super excited to show off! But if you want to get updates on my progress, follow my twitter, @thepudzoutlook1. You'll get all updates on my writing there, however long it may be.
> 
> Any and all comments are appreciated. I always smile when reading your kind words, and I will do my best to reply. Thank you all so much. I love you all, and I hope I won't be gone from writing for too long <3


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